Josie Gibson has shed light on the inner workings of This Morning, in the wake of the scandal-ridden show’s huge overhaul in recent months.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, the TV host, 39, spoke about life on the show since Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby’s shock departure last year – as she blasted allegations of toxicity among the ‘amazing’ cast and crew.
Josie first appeared on This Morning in 2019 as a segment presenter, during which she suffered a panic attack, which she admits could have derailed her future, however praised bosses for letting her continue despite debilitating nerves.
The former Big Brother star, who shares son Reggie, five, with ex Terry, spoke about her life on and off-screen ahead of her collaboration with Yoplait, in which she has launched a mission to help boost calcium intake in kids.
Josie and Reggie replicated iconic ‘Got Milk?’ images by posing with yoghurt moustaches made from Petits Filous for the shoot, before the stunner revealed why she was never pegged to replace Holly on the show.
Josie Gibson has shed light on the inner workings of This Morning, in the wake of the scandal-ridden show’s huge overhaul in recent months
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, the TV host, 39, spoke about life on the show since Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby’s shock departure last year – as she blasted allegations of toxicity among the ‘amazing’ cast and crew on the show
Josie first appeared on This Morning in 2019 as a segment presenter, during which she suffered a panic attack, which she admits could have derailed her future, however praised bosses for letting her continue despite debilitating nerves
The former Big Brother star, who shares son Reggie, five, with ex Terry, spoke about her life on and off-screen ahead of her collaboration with Yoplait, in which she has launched a mission to help boost calcium intake in kids
Josie soared to fame after winning Big Brother’s 11th season in 2010 leading to various brand deals and a hugely successful weight loss path.
Her time on This Morning began five years ago and she has worked her way from a segment presenter to fronting the full show in permanent hosts’ absences.
This Morning has been synonymous with scandal over the past year due to Phillip’s affair with a colleague and subsequent departure, before Holly announced she was set to leave the programme in October last year.
Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard have since been unveiled as their replacements from Monday to Thursday, while Josie joins a host of stars including Dermot O’Leary, Alison Hammond, Sian Welby and Rylan Clark in sharing Friday duties.
While there have been allegations of toxicity, defiant Josie insisted: ‘This Morning have been so good to me. They are really understanding with Reggie. Juggling mum and everything. It’s just nice to have people that you work with in this industry.’
Speaking about her panic attack, Josie explained the struggles of her first appearance on the show, saying: ‘I don’t feel pressure now, but when I first started. This is where I love This Morning…
‘When I first started, I went on to host a competition on the studio floor… I had a freaking panic attack. I am not joking. I could not breathe, I couldn’t. Honest this is years and years ago I did just. It was so nervous, so so nervous. My comfort…
Her time on This Morning began five years ago and she has worked her way from a segment presenter to fronting the full show in permanent hosts’ absences (pictured on the show in 2019)
Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard have replaced Holly and Phil on the show
Holly and Josie are pictured on the show in June last year
‘I always wanted to be a presenter, but I was. I suffered with my nerves and then they kept with me. They they seen something in in made. I did see it myself, but they kept with me. Really, they shouldn’t have ever called me again, but they did…
‘They kept with me, and then they kept they they grew me as a presenter. So yeah. And now I’m presenting the main show…
‘Every day I’m learning every day. I’m growing every day. I’m like, perfect my craft as a presenter, but what I’m saying is.’
Josie insisted ongoing claims of toxicity behind the scenes were ‘rubbish’, saying: ‘If some of these people could just come in and meet us all, they would know that it was sort of like the biggest load of rubbish ever…
‘And oh, you know, at This Morning the people have been there for absolutely years. It’s a really family affair. So when when it was. Yeah, I felt so sorry for all, like the the people that work on it like cause they’ve been there for donkeys’ years.’
Josie soared to fame after winning Big Brother’s 11th season in 2010 leading to various brand deals and a hugely successful weight loss path (pictured leaving the Big Brother house)
She insisted she would never work in a toxic environment in a similar fashion to her best pal Alison Hammond, who is a fellow Big Brother alum and presenter
She insisted she would never work in a toxic environment in a similar fashion to her best pal Alison, who is a fellow Big Brother alum and presenter.
She said: ‘Bl**dy toxic? Do you think me and Alison are gonna work somewhere that’s toxic. Alison’s my one of my besties, do you think? Are we me and our whole people are gonna go into somewhere that’s that toxic.’
Josie was adamant critics of the show were ‘jumping on the bandwagon’ and thanked This Morning bosses Martin Frizell, Vivek Sharma and more for the opportunities she had been afforded on the show.
She said: ‘Now I’m presenting the main show. So this is sort of they sort of saw something in in me that I didn’t see in myself, and that I’ve got them all to thank for that, like Martin Frizell, Vivek Sharma and more…
‘They’ve had my back, and they’ve they’ve kept with me, and they’ve they yeah, they like. I said they. I didn’t. They saw something that I never saw’.
On Holly and Phil’s replacements, Josie insisted she was never going to replace the star due to having to juggle life between her hometown of Bath and filming in London – something she admits could never be viable.
She said: If I lived in London I would have loved the job. But I don’t live in London, I live [in Bath], and this is where I am, and this where my family is this, where my life is. So, and I, you know I will never get this time back…
This Morning has been synonymous with scandal over the past year due to Phillip’s affair with a colleague and subsequent departure, before Holly announced she was set to leave the programme in October last year (Holly and Phillip in 2022)
Josie has replicated the Got Milk? campaigns
On Holly and Phil’s replacements, Josie insisted she was never going to replace the star due to having to juggle life between her hometown of Bath and filming in London – something she admits could never be viable
‘It’s a juggle. You’re working, mom, you know. The juggle’s real.’
As well as her work with This Morning, Josie’s Yoplait campaign ties in with new research that shows kids are swapping yoghurt for more sugary foods like biscuits and sweets – leading to a dairy deficit.
Josie revealed that kid’s yoghurt intakes have declined, especially since the pandemic, and how an increasing proportion of their daily intake is now represented by sugary foods like biscuits, cakes and crisps.
She said: ‘Yoghurt for kids is packed full of calcium, vitamin D which growing children need to develop, so it’s alarming to see that the consumption is in decline.’
Speaking about helping Reggie eat well, she said: ‘Well, the thing is, we’ve always got Petits Filous in our fridge. So we we always yeah, you know what it’s like with the kids. kids are like going for chocolate and biscuits and stuff like that…
‘So they’re trying to get more kids to eat yogurts because the bit mind calcium. So I was like, I’ll sign up for that one. Thank you!’
As well as her work with This Morning, Josie’s Yoplait campaign ties in with new research that shows kids are swapping yoghurt for more sugary foods like biscuits and sweets – leading to a dairy deficit
Josie revealed that kid’s yoghurt intakes have declined, especially since the pandemic, and how an increasing proportion of their daily intake is now represented by sugary foods like biscuits, cakes and crisps
