Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley have opened up about their on-screen chemistry on This Morning, addressing claims that their dynamic might be manufactured. The duo began hosting the ITV daytime programme together in March 2024, following the departures of Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.
Now familiar faces on the show, they present from Monday to Thursday during term time, with Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary stepping in on Fridays and throughout school holidays, alongside other presenters. Given the prominent role, many assumed Cat and Ben spent time getting to know each other before their debut, but that was not the case.
Meeting Just One Day Before Debut
The ITV pair revealed they had met just one day before hosting their first programme together. “I flew in from Atlanta, then came to the studio,” Cat, 49, told Radio Times magazine. Ben, 51, added: “We've definitely got to know each other on air.” When they finally met, Cat disclosed that she “couldn't stay long” due to parenting responsibilities with her two sons, Milo and James, whom she shares with her ex-husband Patrick Kielty.
“There was no chemistry test, which flummoxes my American management,” she told the Irish Daily Mail's You Magazine. During the initial months of their partnership, viewers had varying responses to ITV's selection of new hosts. While some claimed they lacked chemistry, others commended them as a breath of fresh air.
Authenticity Over Faking It
When asked in their most recent interview whether chemistry can be faked, Ben said: “You probably could for a bit, but I think you'd get found out fairly quickly.” Cat added: “Authenticity is important. When someone's watching TV, it's intimate – you're in their living room, or their kitchen. I'd never say anything on air I don't believe is true, or say I love something if I don't. That wouldn't sit right with me.”
Describing their on-screen dynamic as a “TV marriage”, Ben jokingly remarked that his co-presenter has to vie for his affections with his “other TV wife” – the arcade-style coin pusher on Tipping Point, another ITV programme he fronts.
Rumours of a Presenting Reshuffle
Earlier this year, Cat, Ben, Alison and Dermot found themselves at the heart of speculation surrounding a potential This Morning presenting reshuffle. Following rumours that Vernon Kay and Tess Daly could be brought into the line-up, ITV released a statement dismissing the claims. “We are very happy with Cat, Ben, Alison, and Dermot as This Morning's lead presenters and there are no plans for that to change,” a spokesperson said. “2026 has got off to a great start for the show with viewing up year on year and a weekly reach of 3.7 million viewers.”
A spokesperson for Vernon also told The Metro: “There's no truth to any rumours. Vernon is very happy and committed to his BBC Radio 2 show.”
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV and ITVX.
