Viewers reacted when This Morning introduced its new permanent hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard on Friday and asked why it didn’t go to Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle.
The couple, aged 47 and 49 respectively, have been in talks for some months following the departure of Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
While some praised the new duo as “class acts”, other viewers felt Craig, 53, and Josie, 39, who have fronted This Morning for months, were more worthy of the gig.
But fans believe Ben and Cat are a “safe” choice who will help propel the This Morning ship into stronger waters from next month.
Phil, 61, left the show in May after more than 20 years on the show after admitting an affair with a young showrunner, followed by claims of an increasingly strained relationship with his co-host Holly.
Months later, Holly, 43, left the show in October “for the sake of her family” after discovering she was the target of a foiled kidnapping and murder plot.
Viewers reacted as This Morning introduced its new permanent hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard on Friday.
While some praised the new duo as “class acts”, others felt Craig Doyle, 53, and Josie Gibson, 39, who have fronted This Morning for months, were more worthy of the gig.
Viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts after Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary announced the signing of Cat and Ben on Friday’s show.
They wrote: “I think Ben will be great, maybe a little safe, but he’s what the show needs right now, the verdict is still out on Cat.”
“Finally this morning we have two great presenters” and “Great news… but I still think Josie and Craig deserved better than this.”
—What’s up with Josie and Craig? and ‘Ben & Cat as new presenters? Absolutely brilliant news!!’
“This Morning finally has two fabulous presenters,” said another.
The new presenters were announced in their introductory video of Ben walking backstage in the studio.
Many of the This Morning presenters shared their congratulatory messages on Instagram.
The couple, aged 47 and 49 respectively, have been in talks for some months following the departure of Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield (pictured last February).
“We are very, very happy to have Ben and Cat joining the family,” Alison and Dermot told viewers on Friday.
Viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts after Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary announced the signing of Cat and Ben on Friday’s show.
This Morning’s new permanent presenter Cat was said to be in a stand-off with ITV bosses over her new post and role on So You Think You Can Dance (pictured on the show in November).
On Thursday, inside sources revealed that Cat, 47, and Ben Shephard, 49, had landed the coveted permanent presenting roles (pictured on the show in September).
Many of the This Morning presenters shared their congratulatory messages on Instagram
Craig proved there were no hard feelings when he wrote: “Congratulations guys…did someone say drinks?”, and Josie added: “I feel like a welcome back to work party is coming up!”
Rochelle Humes wrote: “Eeek.”
Dermot said: ‘Hooray! Welcome to the family.’
Speaking about the new signings on the show, Dermot said: “I’ve known Cat for a long time.”
Alison first met Cat at a party in Los Angeles about four years ago and they bonded because they were both from Birmingham.
She told him: ‘I met her in Los Angeles. We are both Brummies. I met her about four years ago, we met in Los Angeles at a party.
“We are very, very happy to have Ben and Cat joining the family.”
Of the signing, Ben said: “It really feels like a very special moment for Cat and I to be part of the next chapter of This Morning.” It’s an honor to be trusted with the reins, to join Alison and Dermot and the entire team who work on and off screen and do great work.
‘For the last ten years I’ve been waking up to our ITV daytime audience on GMB and now I’m looking forward to spending time with Cat…
“Welcoming viewers home after their school run or morning routines, with a cup of tea and a mix of everything that makes This Morning so loved.”
Cat added: ‘This Morning is a national institution. Every time they broadcast it, it’s like inviting your friends: funny, smart, silly, sincere, informative and happy, like all the best friends!…
‘This morning is and always will be the viewer’s program. “Ben and I know how much people love it and, with the help of an incredible team of people, we will do everything we can to take care of it.”
According to a Betfair Live Casino poll, Rylan Clark and Josie came out on top as the national picks for a permanent presenting spot on This Morning, despite Cat and Ben being introduced as the main presenters.
More than 1 in 5 Brits favored former I’m A Celebrity star Josie as Rylan came out on top as firm favorite with a quarter of the votes.
Meanwhile, Alison and Dermot took top spot as the show’s favorite duo, closely followed by former hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford.