ITV is keeping its cards closely to its chest amid reports that a new presenting duo has been chosen to front This Morning.
On Thursday evening, The Sun reported that Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley had been chosen as the new hosts of the ITV daytime show, which has been without a permanent host since Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby’s respective departures earlier in the year.
In the months since, a number of guest hosts have been fronting This Morning, including both Ben and Cat.
According to the tabloid, the Good Morning Britain anchor and former SM:TV Live host have impressed producers so much that they’ve been chosen as This Morning’s new presenting team.
However, ITV declined to confirm or deny the news when contacted by HuffPost UK, saying simply: “We don’t comment on speculation.”
Back in May, Phillip Schofield announced he was stepping down from This Morning after 21 years, amid rumours in the press that he and co-host Holly Willoughby had fallen out behind the scenes.
Less than a week later, it was confirmed he had resigned from ITV altogether, after admitting to having lied to bosses about an affair with a younger colleague on the daytime show.
After an extended break, Holly eventually returned to This Morning where she co-presented with a series of guest hosts. However, she made the decision to leave the show in October, following an alleged plot to kidnap her.
Since then, This Morning has been fronted by a rotating mix of guest hosts, including Alison Hammond, Dermot O’Leary, Rylan Clark, Josie Gibson, Craig Doyle, Rochelle Humes and Emma Willis.