Phillip Schofield looked happy and relaxed as he was spotted with us for the first time since it was reportedly announced that he and his former co-host Holly Willoughby are permanent replacements on This Morning.
The presenters, 42 and 61, both left the ITV daytime show last year and a rotating cast of stars have been at the helm since.
But now a new report suggests that Cat Deeley – who appeared as a guest last November – and Good Morning Britain's Ben Shephard will take over the Monday to Thursday slot.
And during his outing in London on Sunday, Phillip laughed and grinned wildly while out with a group of friends.
He cut a casual figure in a blue denim shirt and jeans, teamed with a matching navy blazer and Converse.
Phillip Schofield looked happy and relaxed as he joined us for the first time since it was reportedly announced that he and his former co-host Holly Willoughby would be their permanent replacements on This Morning
During his outing on Sunday, Phillip laughed and grinned wildly while out with a group of friends
The presenters, 42 and 61, both left the ITV daytime show last year and a rotating cast of stars have been at the helm since
Phillip has been out of the spotlight in recent months since his affair scandal in May, which led to him leaving This Morning after more than 20 years on the show.
After much speculation about his personal life, his affair finally became public and he admitted he was “broken and ashamed” but insisted he was not a dog groomer.
He said the affair “never came across as an abuse of power” because he and his mistress were “friends.” He told The Sun: “At one point in my 41-year career I was unprofessional. “There is no excuse. Nobody did anything wrong except me.'
In his first interview since leaving the station and This Morning, the 61-year-old presenter said: “I didn't do it, I didn't do it.” [groom him].
“There are accusations of all sorts of things.” It never came across that way because we had become friends. I don't know anything about that. But of course I understand that there will be a massive judgment, but with that in mind I never took advantage of it.”
At the time, Phillip apologized several times, including to his 14-year-old co-host Holly and his 30-year-old wife Stephanie Lowe.
This comes after it was reported that Cat and Ben's launch images will be filmed ahead of the official announcement later this month, along with new promotions for the show.
A source told The Mirror: “The cat is out of the bag – they are the new dream team.” ITV plans to announce Cat and Ben as their new star couple in March.
“Obviously Ben is well known and loved by the ITV daytime audience thanks to his many years on the breakfast sofa. Thanks to her many years of work in children's television, Cat is also a very recognizable face, despite having been in the US for a long time.
“People were very impressed with her guest hosting gig alongside Rylan last year and luckily everything fell into place.” “Everyone is thrilled.”
This comes after it was revealed late last year that Cat had “rejected” the job offer.
He cut a casual figure in a blue denim shirt and jeans, teamed with a matching navy blazer and Converse
He was out in Borough Markets with his friends Scott Brown and Josh Sharman
Phillip has been out of the spotlight in recent months since his affair scandal in May, which led to him leaving This Morning after more than 20 years on the show
After much speculation about his personal life, his affair finally became public and he admitted he was “broken and ashamed” but insisted he was not a dog groomer
He said the affair “never came across as an abuse of power” because he and his mistress were “friends.” He told The Sun: “At one point in my 41-year career I was unprofessional. “There is no excuse. Nobody did anything wrong except me.'
At the time, Phillip apologized several times, including to his 14-year-old co-host Holly and his 30-year-old wife Stephanie Lowe
It is possible that the reason for the sudden turnaround is financial, as Cat is set to make a record profit as the new host.
When reports of her joining the show first emerged last year, it was said she and Ben would receive an annual salary of £555,000.
Although the salary was high, it paled in comparison to former hosts Holly and Phil, who were reported to have received £700,000 a year for their roles.
However, Cat is not short of money as she currently earns at least £344,000 per season hosting So You Think You Can Dance in the US, where she is reportedly paid £43,000 per episode.
The new series is scheduled to air in March and Cat will split her time filming between the US and UK.
Therefore, it stands to reason that if Cat changed her mind about appearing on This Morning, her contract would either allow her to continue juggling her gig in LA.
However, if she decides to keep both jobs it won't be for financial reasons, with brand and culture expert Nick Ede revealing she could double her salary on This Morning with online brand opportunities.
Nick told Web: “Cat is popular when it comes to style and I can imagine she makes a lot of money working with brands like John Lewis and M&S who vie for her to wear their items.”
“She could make over £200,000 from fashion collaborations and she also has her own fragrance which is sure to fly off the shelves.”
“I can also see her potentially working with a brand like Charlotte Tilbury or L'Oréal and earning a cool £250,000 for it.”
“Cat is the perfect presenter for This Morning. “She has a huge following of people who grew up watching her on a Saturday morning and she was always in safe hands.
“She has a reputation for being a lot of fun, but can also balance difficult talking points, which is why she will make a successful pairing with Ben.”
“What's really great about Cat as a brand is that she's really well received in the US as host of the hit show So You Think You Dance. So if you want to expand in the UK and US or sign brand deals, she is the right choice.” “Perfect person for that.”
After much speculation about his personal life, his affair finally became public and he admitted he was “broken and ashamed” but insisted he was not a dog groomer
A new report suggests that Cat Deeley (left) – who guest presented last November – and Good Morning Britain's Ben Shephard (right) will take over the Monday to Thursday slot
It has been reported that their launch images will be filmed ahead of the official announcement later this month along with new promotions for the show (Cat with Craig Doyle guest speaking on November 15, 2023).
Cat, Ben and ITV have been contacted by Web for further comment.
Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond are expected to continue as the show's regular presenters on Fridays and school holidays.
This comes after Holly left the show last October “for the sake of her family” after discovering she was the target of a foiled kidnapping and murder plot, and has not been permanently replaced since.
This came five months after Phillip Schofield's departure after his affair with a young male showrunner became public, followed by claims of an increasingly strained relationship with his co-host.
Cat, 47, who is married to fellow presenter Patrick Kielty, began her career as co-host of ITV children's show SMTV Live, for which she won a BAFTA Children's Award, and its spin-off chart show CD:UK.
Meanwhile, 49-year-old Ben joined GMB in 2014 and has been with them ever since and is one of their most popular stars.
This comes after it was claimed earlier this week that This Morning staff were “furious” that a regular presenting team had not been put in place since Holly and Phillip left the show last year.
Alison and Dermot as well as Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle have stepped in as presenters of the show for now, while Sian Welby and Rochelle Humes have also appeared.
It was previously claimed that Alison was a frontrunner for the regular job, but declined to focus on other projects and was said to be backing Josie for the job.
This comes after Holly left the show last October “for the sake of her family” after discovering she was the target of a foiled kidnapping and murder plot, and has not been permanently replaced since
This comes after Sian Welby impressed viewers when she took the helm at Dermot from Monday to Thursday last week
This comes after Sian Welby impressed viewers last week when she took the helm at Dermot.
A source told the Mail: “Sian has done a fantastic job and everyone absolutely loves her.”
“She's a huge breath of fresh air, she came along and just wowed everyone.” She was a joy to watch for viewers, but also for editor Martin Frizell and other show executives, and they believe she is ability to continue to grow on the show and become the next Holly.
“You have to remember that Holly was once like her and look what happened to her, she was the host for 14 years.”
“Martin and Emma both agree she has what it takes to be a star, it’s really exciting and she’s now in the best position for the job.”
“Sian seems to be far better than some of the presenters who have hosted the show in recent months.”
Meanwhile, Holly is reportedly being considered for presenting roles in the US now that she's back on UK screens.
The TV presenter returned to air on Dancing On Ice this month.
It is now being claimed that she may be traveling to America for work and the star is hoping this will give her lifestyle brand a boost too.
An insider told The Sun: “Holly is a free agent and can be courted by these huge streaming platforms for the first time in years.”
“A number of US broadcasters and production companies have been interested in her for some time and she has attracted the attention of some major brands.”
“She has real star appeal and is not only glamorous but also a top-class professional in front of the camera. “It's an exciting time in her career.”
It is claimed Holly is hoping to use any boost in popularity in the United States to promote her lifestyle brand Wylde Moon, which has been compared to Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop.
The source added: “Holly has made no secret of the fact that she follows Gwyneth Paltrow's brand model. “Launching herself in the US could make those dreams a reality.”
Web contacted a representative for Holly for comment.