ITV This Morning boss quits after 10 years as co-stars left 'shocked'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

This Morning boss, Martin Frizell, is stepping down from the hit ITV show after ten years. Martin, 65, who is married to TV presenter Fiona Phillips, is expected to leave in Spring next year and a replacement is not thought to have been appointed, according to reports.

Speaking in a statement, Martin admitted he needs to prioritise his family as he announced his departure. He said: "Next year I’m expecting my family priorities to change so I need to free up time for them.

I love my team at ITV and will miss them and the thrill of live telly but it’s an always on, 24 hours a day, seven days a week commitment and I won’t be able to do both." He added: "It’s been a privilege to lead truly great presenters and producers, between us we’ve turned out more than six thousand hours of live topical telly, that’s around 20,000 items. "Whilst the gongs are always nice I’m most proud of the change we made to so many lives, even saving a fair few with our campaigns on anti suicide, menopause, testicular cancer and 'how - to' items.

This juggernaut is the toughest test for any broadcast journalist." Meanwhile, Kevin Lygo, managing director of media and entertainment at ITV, added: "This Morning is an iconic show in ITV’s schedule, and heading the team for a decade, producing more than ten hours of original, topical, live television every week is an amazing achievement. "As a programme and a brand, Martin has made sure the show continues to be a household name, an award-winning staple of the schedule with a growing successful presence in digital and social. "On behalf of the ITV Network, we thank Martin and wish him the very best for his future ventures." ITV said that Martin's replacement will be announced in due course.