You might not have heard, but there’s now a vacant seat behind the Good Morning Britain desk.
Five years after joining GMB, Piers Morgan has permanently left the show, following an even more controversial few days than usual.
He departed after casting doubt on various claims made by Meghan Markle during her recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, storming off the set when confronted by a colleague and attracting upwards of 40,000 complaints.
The question now turns to exactly who will be taking over from him on ITV’s flagship breakfast show?
Well, that’s yet to be confirmed, but while we await news from the broadcaster about Piers’ successor, we’ve rounded up 11 candidates we predict could be in the running...
Ranvir Singh
Starting with a pretty obvious one, on Susanna Reid’s first day hosting GMB after Piers’ exit, it was Ranvir Singh who sat on her right-hand side, so she’s obviously a favourable choice with both the show’s producers and its main anchor.
Ranvir has been with GMB since its launch, but is having a real moment right now, thanks in no small part to her involvement in last year’s Strictly Come Dancing, where she made it through to the semi-final.
Since Strictly, Ranvir has covered for Lorraine Kelly while she was on holiday from her show – so she’s obviously held in high regard by ITV daytime execs.
Alex Beresford
Alex Beresford has been with Good Morning Britain since its 2014 launch, initially serving as a relief weather presenter for Laura Tobin, but as the years have gone on, he’s become increasingly popular with viewers and seen his role grow.
In recent times, he’s sat on the panel with the main presenters and even guest presented GMB.
Given the praise he received after calling out Piers Morgan on what would ultimately prove to be the presenter’s last day at GMB, we could imagine producers wanting to give him some more airtime, so would not be surprised if he became part of the main presenting line-up in the near future.
Adil Ray
Currently a holiday relief presenter on Good Morning Britain, Adil Ray has also stepped in during Piers’ absences in the past, meaning he’s already got experience hosting the show with Susanna.
More recently, Adil has been hosting the new ITV gameshow Lingo too, so he’s had an even bigger presence on the daytime scene.
We’d love to see Piers’ face if Adil were to be given the role though, given that the two clashed on Twitter just a few months ago, when Adil made a joke at Piers’ expense while guest hosting Have I Got News For You.
Charlene White
After more than a decade presenting the news for ITV, Charlene White branched out even further in 2021, when she became a permanent anchor on Loose Women, which has already seen her win praise from viewers.
This mix of news credentials and favour with daytime audiences mean the presenter would be a great fit for GMB, especially if they’re looking to recruit someone completely new for the team.
Eamonn Holmes
Eamonn Holmes obviously already has plenty of daytime experience, with GMTV, Sunrise and This Morning all under his belt, and he’s previously co-hosted GMB numerous times while Piers has been on holiday.
Having recently had his regular Friday slot on This Morning handed to Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond, Eamonn does have more time on his hands too, which would free him up for a more permanent slot at GMB.
However, if GMB bosses were hoping for a safer pair of hands after Piers’ exit, Eamonn might not be the way to go.
The presenter has come under fire a number of times in recent history – including for his harsh criticisms of Meghan Markle on talkRadio and his comments about a coronavirus conspiracy theory live on This Morning early in the pandemic, which led to Ofcom issuing guidance to ITV.
Jeremy Kyle
Although Jeremy Kyle’s talk show was axed in 2019, ITV has always made it clear that the presenter is welcome to return to the broadcaster with a different project, with director Kevin Lygo saying over a year ago that they were “looking to find another show” for the host.
Jeremy has also guest hosted GMB in the past on multiple occasions, so he’s obviously up to the job.
Again, though, it’s all down to whether ITV would want to replace Piers with another host known for his abrupt and confrontational style.
Richard Madeley
Could the departure of Piers Morgan signal the return of the UK’s king of daytime to the early-morning slot? We have to admit, we kind of hope so.
Like Eamonn Holmes and Jeremy Kyle, Richard Madeley has also served as a guest presenter on GMB on multiple occasions, last hosting in February 2020, right before the pandemic hit.
And let’s face it, his unique presenting style (which often includes faux pas and various unintentionally hilarious scenes) would definitely be a change of direction for the daytime show after Piers’ departure.
Sean Fletcher
Like Alex and Ranvir, Sean Fletcher was also part of Good Morning Britain’s original line-up as a sports presenter, but has since taken on the role of relief newsreader and occasional guest host.
With another reshuffle on the cards at GMB, this could be Sean’s time to take on an even bigger role at the daytime show.
Richard Bacon
Admittedly, Richard Bacon might seem like a left-field choice, but like many of the other presenters we’ve listed, he has actually presented Good Morning Britain before, filling in for two episodes in April 2019, and later returning for a handful of shows the following August.
In recent years, Richard has taken his career Stateside, fronting the magazine show Top 30 and producing a “whodunnit”-style gameshow called The Hustler. But with a vacant slot on the GMB line-up, this could be a chance for the former Blue Peter star to stage a mainstream TV comeback in the UK.
Kate Garraway
Of course, Kate Garraway is currently already a key presenter on Good Morning Britain, hosting on Thursdays and Fridays, as well as occasional appearances during school holidays.
Kate has been with ITV breakfast shows in their various incarnations for over two decades, so many viewers would not doubt be happy to see her role expanded – plus she’s proved in recent times that she can give politicians a grilling every bit as good as Piers Morgan.
Andi Peters
Good Morning Britain fans can see Andi Peters on the show most days, fronting competition coverage and other one-off segments. But let’s be honest – who wouldn’t want to see more of Andi Peters on their TVs in the morning?
With countless presenting roles – not to mention work behind the camera– to his name, Andi would be more than qualified for the job, as he proved when he filled in for Lorraine Kelly on her daytime show last year.
Good Morning Britain airs every weekday from 6am on ITV.