ITV responds after claims This Morning's Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley are to be replaced

ITV has responded to claims that bosses are looking to replace Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard on This Morning.

It had been reported that Tess Daly and Vernon Kay would be succeeding the duo, with show bosses said to be interested in the husband and wife duo after they hosted The One Show last week.

A source claimed to The Sun that ITV are looking for the next "Richard and Judy".

However, ITV has poured cold water on these claims, with a spokesperson for the channel saying in a statement: "We are very happy with Cat, Ben, Alison, and Dermot as This Morning's lead presenters and there are no plans for that to change.

"2026 has got off to a great start for the show with viewing up year on year and a weekly reach of 3.7 million viewers."

Radio Times understands that reports on Daly and Kay replacing Deeley and Shephard are untrue.

While Vernon Kay has been a guest host on This Morning, he has no plans on jumping ship from his BBC Radio 2 show, a role he has held since 2023 when he took over from Ken Bruce.

A spokesperson for the presenter told Metro: "There's no truth to any rumours. Vernon is very happy and committed to his BBC Radio 2 show."

The speculation follows from Daly's departure from Strictly Come Dancing as host, a role she had had for 20 years.

The news of hers and Claudia Winkleman's exit was announced in October 2025, with the pair sharing a joint statement on Instagram in which they described their time on the BBC dance series as "an absolute dream".

Replacements for Tess and Claudia are yet to be announced, but a flurry of names have been speculated, including the likes of Mel Giedroyc, Emma Willis and Zoe Ball – the latter of which has been a shoo-in due to her Strictly past.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, the former It Takes Two host said of taking over at the helm: "Obviously, there's a part of me that would love to do it. But I will still be watching, whoever hosts."

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