Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard gushed they were ‘so excited’ as they finally made their debut as This Morning permenant new hosts, after replacing Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
The pair were unveiled as the new additions to the show last month following weeks of speculation, and Holly’s departure from the show back in October.
Speaking during the show’s opening moments on Monday, Cat said: ‘We are so excited to be here this show has been a part of our lives for so long.’
Ben, who left Good Morning Britain last month after 10 years, added: ‘Everyone has been so kind. thank you to everyone who has sent us messages of support.’
Cat and Ben also received messages of support from some of their celebrity pals, with Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly shared a sweet tribute to their former SMTV co-host.
Noting their wild partying during their children’s TV heyday, Ant said: ‘That girl can party, don’t think she can’t,’ while Declan added: ‘Keep a lock on the drinks cabinet.’
Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard gushed they were ‘so excited’ as they finally made their debut as This Morning permenant new hosts on Monday
The pair were unveiled as the new additions to the show last month following the departures of Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby last year
Ben also received a sweet message from his longtime pal Chris Kamara, who said: ‘He was one of the best things to happen to me and vice versa I’m sure you’re going to smash it.
Cat was seen in New York City last week, just two days before she kicked off her This Morning stint.
Her new role will mean she could reportedly lose her long-time role on So You Think You Can Dance in the US, where she was paid £43k an episode – instead opting for the role on This Morning with a reported £550k annual salary.
It had been claimed that Cat was finally won round with a lucrative deal, but insiders at ITV denied the claims – insisting it was the ability to spend more time with family, over a big money payday, that finally sealed the deal.
Cat’s husband Patrick Kielty, with whom she shares two children, is the host of Ireland’s The Late Late Show and her role on This Morning would bring her closer geographically to her husband rather than her US job.
When reports of her joining the show first emerged last year it was claimed she and Ben would receive an annual salary of £555,000.
While hefty, the salary still paled in comparison to former hosts Holly and Phil, who were said to have been paid £700,000 annually for their role.
Ben had his final GMB show on February 23, leaving his ‘on-screen wife’ Kate Garraway after nearly 20 years.
It came five months after Phillip’s departure after his affair with a young male showrunner was made public, followed by Holly’s exit from the show in October
He said at the time: ‘One of the hardest decisions of course is knowing that my mornings with Kate, my on-screen wife of nearly 20 years, is coming to an end.’
The news was confirmed via a bespoke promo on This Morning’s Twitter last month, showing Ben walking down the familiar This Morning production corridor and placing a new photo of Cat on the wall, before turning to the camera as the photo comes to life.
Cat said: ‘This Morning is a national institution. Whenever it’s on, it’s like having your friends over – funny, smart, silly, heartfelt, informative and joyful – like all the greatest friendships!…
‘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 added: ‘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 reigns, join Alison and Dermot and all the team that work on and off screen and do such a great job…
‘For the last ten 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.’
This Morning’s Editor, Martin Frizell said: ‘The team and I have relished the opportunity to try new things these past few months and remind viewers what a massively talented team both on and off screen we have here at This Morning…
‘We can’t wait to welcome Ben and Cat fully into the fold next month and witness the start of another exciting chapter in the show’s 35 year journey.’
It comes after Holly left the show last October ‘for the sake of her family’ after discovering she was the target of a foiled kidnap and murder plot and has since not been replaced permanently.
It came five months after Phillip’s departure after his affair with a young male showrunner was made public, followed by claims of an increasingly strained relationship with his co-host.
Phillip has bowed out of the spotlight in recent months since his affair scandal in May, which led to his departure from This Morning after over 20 years on the show.
After much speculation about his private life, his affair finally went public and he admitted he had been left ‘broken and ashamed’ but insisted he was not a groomer.
He said the affair ‘never came across’ as an abuse of power because he and his lover were ‘mates’. He told The Sun: ‘I was unprofessional, one time, in a 41-year career. There is no excuse. No one did anything wrong apart from me.’
In his first interview since leaving the broadcaster and This Morning, the 61-year-old presenter said: ‘I did not, I did not [groom him].
‘There are accusations of all sorts of things. It never came across that way because we’d become mates. I don’t know about that. But of course I understand that there will be a massive judgment, but bearing in mind, I have never exercised that.’
At the time, Phillip offered a number of apologies, including to his co-presenter of 14 years Holly and his wife of 30 years, Stephanie Lowe.