Frustrated This Morning Staff Face Delays in Assembling New Presenting Team After Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield’s Departures

This Morning staff are reportedly ‘livid’ that a regular presenting team has not been put in place since Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield’s departure from the show last year.

Television presenter Holly, 42, quit in October last year amid a kidnap and murder plot and Phillip, 61, left his TV hosting jobs a few months earlier in May after confirming he’d had an affair with a younger This Morning colleague.

Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, and Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle have stepped in to front the show for now, while Cat Deeley and Sian Welby have also appeared.

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It was previously claimed Alison was a front-runner for the regular spot but she declined to focus on other projects and is said to be backing Josie for the job. 

A source told the Mirror: ‘All anyone can talk about behind the scenes is who the next team on the sofa will be.

This Morning staff are reportedly ‘livid’ that a regular presenting team has not been put in place since Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield’s departure from the show last year (Holly and Phil pictured on This Morning shortly before his departure in May last year)

It was previously claimed Alison Hammond was a front-runner for the regular spot but she declined to focus on other projects and is said to be backing Josie for the job (Alison pictured with Dermot O’Leary)

Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, and Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle have stepped in to front the show for now (Craig and Josie pictured this month)

‘It’s not just the talent either – there’s widespread frustration at the lack of a decision, and some are really livid. 

‘Many of the stylists and make-up artists work for one particular person, so they’re keen to know when they’ll be working. Those people are also in limbo.’

MailOnline has contacted ITV for comment.

This Morning bosses think they have finally found their star to take the reins of the ITV daytime programme – former weather presenter and Holly lookalike, Sian.

Editor Martin Frizell and his boss, head of daytime Emma Gormley are said to ‘adore’ the host following her four day trial this week and is now lining her up as a permanent star on the show.

Sources at the channel say that they think they might have just found their star after she presented with Dermot O’Leary.

One told the Mail: ‘Sian has done a fantastic job and everyone totally loves her.

‘She is a massive breath of fresh air, she has come along and just wowed everyone. She has been a joy to watch for the viewers but also Martin and other executives on the show and they think she has the ability to grow and grow on the show and become the next Holly.

This Morning bosses think they have finally found their star to take the reins of the ITV daytime programme – former weather presenter and Holly lookalike, Sian Welby

One source told the Mail: ‘Sian has done a fantastic job and everyone totally loves her’

‘It mustn’t be forgotten that Holly was like her once and look what happened to her, she was the host for 14 years. 

‘Martin and Emma are both agreed that she has got what it takes to be a star, it is really exciting and she is very much in a pole position for the job now. 

‘Sian is seen to be by far better than some of the presenters who have hosted the show in recent months.’ 

Nottingham-born Ms Welby, 37, had previously appeared on This Morning as their showbusiness reporter and very much saw her as a ‘rising star.’

And then Frizell and Ms Gormley decided to give her a chance at co-hosting but she wasn’t expected to have the huge impact that she did.

Her appearance comes as some senior executives at ITV are still hoping to pull out the stops to hire Cat Deeley to replace Ms Willoughby, who quit last October following an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her by former security guard Gavin Plumb.

The former CD:UK presenter hosted the programme for four days in November but then went to America where she hosts So You Think You Can Dance and is committed to be until later in the year. 

If ITV signed her, they may face having to let her return to the US to host the talent series in December if she was to sign up again. 

Ms Welby also hosts Capital Breakfast alongside Roman Kemp (left). [Pictured at Capital FM’s Summertime Ball Arrivals at Wembley Stadium in June 2022 with Sonny Jay, right]

Ms Welby is also understood to have told bosses that she wanted to be paired with Rylan Clark rather than Ben Shephard (pictured) who ITV were hoping to move from Good Morning Britain into the role previously held by Phillip Schofield

Christine Lampard was also said to not be keen on doing the job permanently

She is also understood to have told the network’s bosses that she wanted to be paired with Rylan Clark rather than Ben Shephard who ITV were hoping to move from Good Morning Britain into the role previously held by Phillip Schofield. Clark is said to be ‘disinterested’ in taking the job full time.

A source said: ‘There are some at ITV who are still determined to make it work with Cat but it is going to be much more difficult to accommodate her as she has so many more needs.’

Ms Welby hosts Capital Breakfast alongside Roman Kemp and is also a regular reporter for This Morning. She made her name as the Channel 5 News weather presenter after being spotted while working in high street fashion chain, New Look.

She later hosted a show on Heart Radio between 2017 and 2020 and last August she got engaged to her radio producer fiancé Jake Beckett.

Chiefs also had their eye on The Voice presenter Emma Willis to replace Ms Willoughby but she is understood to have turned down the job as she can’t commit to the four day week that ITV want their full time presenter to do.

Christine Lampard was also said to not be keen on doing the job permanently.

I’m A Celeb star Josie Gibson has been hosting the show for most of January after returning home from the jungle.

Meanwhile, Holly is reportedly being eyed-up for presenting roles in the US after making her way back on to UK screens.

The TV host returned to the airwaves this month on Dancing On Ice.

It is now claimed she could head over to America for work, with the star hopeful it will also boost her lifestyle brand.

Holly is reportedly being eyed-up for presenting roles in the US after making her way back on to UK screens (pictured with Dancing On Ice co-host Stephen Mulhern this month)

An insider told The Sun: ‘Holly’s a free agent and for the first time in years she’s free to be courted by these huge streaming platforms.

‘A number of US networks and production companies have been interested in her for a while and she’s caught the attention of some major brands.

‘She has true star pulling power and as well as being glamorous she is a polished professional in front of the camera. It’s an exciting time in her career.’

It is claimed Holly is hoping to use any boost of exposure in the United States to push her lifestyle brand Wylde Moon, which has been compared to Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop.

The source added: ‘Holly has made it no secret that she is following the Gwyneth Paltrow brand model. Launching herself Stateside could make those dreams a reality.’

MailOnline has contacted a representative for Holly for comment.

It comes after it was reported Holly is in the running to host a new jungle-based show with Bear Grylls for Netflix.

It is claimed Holly has been approached about fronting the series which will see celebrity contestants pitted against survival expert Bear.

It comes after it was reported Holly is in the running to host a new jungle-based show with Bear Grylls (pictured) for Netflix 

A source told The Sun: ‘A group of celebrities will be put into a jungle where they will have to tackle a series of challenges.

‘If they lose, they’ll have to pit their wits against Bear, who will be hunting them down.

‘It’s a really exciting concept and Bear is totally on board. Now they have Holly in their sights to host it.’

The insider added that Holly is open to offers but will be ‘carefully cherry-picking’ her next projects after stepping down from This Morning inn October last year and returning to Dancing On Ice earlier this month.