ITV confirms Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley as new This Morning hosts to replace Holly and Phil

dailyrecord.co.uk:

ITV bosses have confirmed the news we were all waiting for - the new hosts of This Morning. Rumours have been rife that Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard were the new full time presenters and permanent replacements for former hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, who both stepped down from the show last year.Good Morning Britain star Shephard said: “This really feels like a very special moment for Cat and I to be part of the next chapter of This Morning.“It’s an honour to be trusted with the reins, join Alison (Hammond) and Dermot (O’Leary) and all the team that work on and off screen and do such a great job.”Deeley, who rose to fame as a presenter of ITV children’s music programme CD:UK along with Willoughby, called This Morning a “national institution”.She added: “Whenever it’s on, it’s like having your friends over – funny, smart, silly, heartfelt, informative and joyful – like all the greatest friendships.”There had been reports last month that Cat, who is married to comedian Patrick Kielty, had “turned down” the job offer due to work commitments in the US.But in an announcement on Twitter this morning on the official This Morning account, a video of Ben, who currently hosts Good Morning Britain, walking into the famous ITV studio to be greeted by a huge picture of his new co-star, Cat.

The footage was accompanied by the message: "It's official! Say hello to our new #ThisMorning presenters! "Welcome to the family.

We can’t wait to see you soon!"We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.

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