Ben Shephard has revealed it was the “hardest decision” to leave his “on-screen wife” Kate Garraway for This Morning.
Ben and Cat Deeley have been officially announced as the new faces of ITV’s This Morning. The pair have hosted the show before but not together and have replaced Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, who gave up their roles last year.
From next month, viewers will see this pair from Monday to Thursday, while Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary will hold the fort on Fridays. 49 year old Ben is absolutely thrilled to be an official part of the This Morning family full-time.
READ MORE: Amanda Holden, 53, spills out of skimpy red bikini on the beach in sizzling snap
READ MORE: Click for more brilliant Daily Star TV stories
He told Daily Mirror: “I’ve worked with many of the team on and off but to work with them full-time is very exciting.” Deeley, 47, who has been the host of the US show So You Think You Can Dance for over ten years, said she “really missed that sense of camaraderie” of hosting with another person.
(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
“Ben is a true gentleman, an incredible presenter and a great journalist,” she said. “No one handles live TV better, he makes it look effortless. He’s funny and whip smart, I can’t wait to go to work every day and do a job I love.”
But Shephard said leaving Good Morning Britain had been the hardest decision due to his relationship with co-presenter Kate. Ben, who also hosts ITV’s Tipping Point, said: “I’m grateful my extended GMB family is only next door so that whenever I get nostalgic I know I’m not going to be far away.
“Although I’ll miss being on screen with them, my later starts mean I may be able to hang out with them all a bit more. One of the hardest decisions of course is knowing my mornings with Kate, my on-screen wife of nearly 20 years, is coming to an end.
“Her journey has been well documented, and I think we would all agree how remarkable she has been over the last four years. I won’t miss the mess but I’ve learned so much from her, as I have from all of the people I’ve been lucky enough to work alongside.”
(Image: ITV)
Derek Draper, the husband of Kate Garraway, was in hospital for 13 months after getting sick with Covid in 2020. He went back to hospital last December because of a heart attack and sadly passed away last month.
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were co-stars on This Morning for 14 years until he left ITV last May. He admitted to having an “unwise, but not illegal” relationship with a younger man at work.
Holly left the show in October, explaining that she made the choice “for me and my family”. Ben, who sometimes filled in for Schofield and worked with Holly, said he really likes Alison Hammond and that it’s great to be back with Dermot O’Leary.
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV1
Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
