This Morning Holly and Phil's permanent replacement confirmed as bosses issue statement

ITV bosses have confirmed that Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield's replacements have officially been found as they issue a statement confirming they "can't wait" to see the new duo

09:52, 16 Feb 2024Updated 10:17, 16 Feb 2024

Holly Willoughby's This Morning statement

ITV have officially named Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield's replacements.

The daytime TV show will see Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley step in to take over from the pair after 10 months of searching for a new male star after Phil quit the show. Cat will replace Holly, who confirmed her exit back in October.

The news was shared on This Morning's social media pages showing Ben walking down the corridor and putting a photo of Cat on the wall. Ben and Cat were both on the show testing for the role last year.

Ben was originally lined up to replace Scofield and present with Holly, but things took a turn when Holly quit, prompting ITV to test our new duos.

[Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby]

Holly and Phil both quit the show in 2023(Image: (Image: ITV))

Speaking about joining the team on a permanent basis, Ben said it felt like a "special moment". He added: "It's an honour to be trusted with the reigns, join Alison and Dermot and all the team that work on and off screen and do such a great job."

He said he was looking forward to spending time with his new co-star as Cat also said: "This Morning is and always will be the viewer's show. Ben and I both know how much people love it, and with the help of an amazing team of people, we're going to do our best to take care of it."

[Ben Shephard]

Ben will become a regular on This Morning(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

This Morning's editor Martin Frizell said the team "can't wait" to welcome Ben and Cat into the show completely next month.

As the news was announced on social media, the caption read: "It's official! Say hello to our new This Morning presenters. Welcome to the family. We can't wait to see you soon."

Alison Hammond commented on the post: "So excited about this!" While Dermot O'Leary wrote: "Huzzah! Welcome to the fam." Alison and Dermot will continue to host the show on Fridays, while Ben and Cat will take over the Monday to Thursday show.

[Cat Deeley]

Cat Deeley will be on This Morning as a new presenter

ITV have been searching for a replacement ever since Phil quit the show after reports of a feud brewing between him and Holly. He later admitted to an affair with a member of staff which saw him cut ties with ITV completely.

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Meanwhile, Holly confirmed she would be leaving the show in order to put her and her family first following reports of an alleged plot to kidnap her.

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