Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard to usher in new era on This Morning

Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley are set to helm their first show as permanent presenters of This Morning.

The duo have taken over from Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, who co-hosted ITV1’s flagship morning programme together for 14 years before they both left in 2023.

Ahead of Deeley and Shephard’s first show together, taking place on Monday at 10am, This Morning posted a video of two mugs being placed onto the table, adorned with the initials C and B.

The show also shared a video of glittery stars featuring the presenter’s names being placed onto dressing-room doors.

On February 16, the duo were announced as the new presenters in a video which showed Shephard walking down the production corridor of the ITV show and placing a new photo of Deeley on the wall, before turning to the camera to say: “See you soon.”

Deeley’s photo then became animated as she winked to viewers.

The pair will host from Monday to Thursday, with Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary presenting on Fridays.

Deeley, 47, rose to fame as a presenter of Saturday morning ITV children’s programme SM:TV Live alongside Ant and Dec and its spin-off music programme CD:UK with Willoughby.

She is also known for hosting ITV’s Stars In Their Eyes, the BBC’s Fame Academy and American competition show So You Think You Can Dance, which she presented for more than a decade.

Shephard, 49, is known for fronting the ITV quiz show Tipping Point and co-hosting ITV1’s breakfast show Good Morning Britain (GMB).

He left GMB in February in order to front This Morning, which he has previously presented on as a replacement for Schofield.

Kate Garraway, who co-presented alongside Shephard on GMB, said his departure from the show was “emotional”, adding: “Ben’s still here, he’s still in the ITV family.”

Shephard has also presented on the now-defunct GMTV and reality spin-off show The Xtra Factor.

Deeley has also presented on This Morning previously and co-hosted alongside Rylan Clark in November last year.

In May 2023, Schofield left ITV and was dropped by his talent agency after admitting to an “unwise but not illegal” relationship with a younger male colleague.

In October, Willoughby left the show, saying she had made the “decision for me and my family”.

On Sunday she presented the final of Dancing On Ice and was joined by Deal Or No Deal’s Stephen Mulhern, who has replaced Schofield as Willoughby’s co-host.