Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley will be the new permanent replacements for This Morning’s Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield – but who will replace Shephard on ITV’s Good Morning Britain?
Shephard has been a staple presenter on GMB since 2014 and co-hosted the show alongside Kate Garraway and Susanna Reid.
Since the announcement of his arrival on This Morning, many fans of his have been wondering who will take his spot permanently once he leaves the show.
With many names being thrown into the hat, it seems Adil Ray is the bookies' front-runner to replace Shephard and present alongside Garraway.
Instant Casino has tipped Ray at replacing Shephard with odds of 5/2, with Ed Balls and Rylan Clark following closely behind with 4/1 odds.
Alison Hammond - who'd sparked controversy of her own with her appointment as the new For The Love of Dogs host - is also a big name in the hat, with 5/1 odds, after she was snubbed at the chance of being the permanent replacement, despite filling in for Willoughby while they sorted the roster.
Ben has presented Good Morning Britain since 2014
ITV
Ray made a return to GMB on February 16 alongside Garraway as fans got a taster of what the presenting duo would look like should he be confirmed as Shephard's permanent replacement.
However, it appears not everyone would be best pleased if Ray were to land the job full-time given the reception he received upon his return.
Taking to their X account, one user fumed: "Adil is so irritating, awful broadcaster #GMB”
"Adil Ray and Kate Garraway. A reason to switch to BBC this morning! #gmb," another commented before a third expressed: "I thought they weren’t using Adil Ray any more on GMB. Get some journalists instead. #gmb"
Adil is bookmakers biggest front runner to replace Ben Shephard
ITV
However, his return to the show wasn’t ill-received by all as one exclaimed: "Delighted to see you back on screen @adilray have dusted off the tv remote to watch again!"
"@adilray good to see Adil back always brightens up my morning breath of fresh air," another cheers before a third said: "Cannot tell you how much joy it brought me to have this man back on @ITV's @GMB.
"So hard waking up & feeling like it takes every ounce of your being to live in such a polarised world. But FINALLY being able to hear @adilray in a morning is the motivation I definitely needed!" (sic)
After it was announced that Shephard would be presenting This Morning, he explained: "This really feels like a very special moment for Cat and I to be part of the next chapter of This Morning.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- BBC newsreader Kate Silverton lauds decision to quit: 'Enormous liberation in being able to be me!'
- Peter Andre bravely opens up on parents’ 'rapid' health decline as GB News star admits it's 'hard to deal with'
- Jeremy Clarkson's Jaguar F-Type sparks 'remarkable' spike in interest for supercar after Grand Tour special
Ben Shephard recently joined the This Morning team
ITV
"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.
"For the last 10 years, I’ve been waking up with our ITV daytime audience on GMB and I now look forward to spending time with Cat.
"Welcoming the viewers home after the school run or from their early morning routines, with a cup of tea and a mix of everything that makes This Morning so loved."