Cat Deeley's Costly Return to This Morning After Mysterious Absence
This Morning presenter Cat Deeley has made a dramatic return to the ITV daytime show, immediately confessing to a major off-camera blunder that she humorously claimed "blew the budget" for the programme. The 49-year-old host had been absent for multiple episodes last week, with Angela Scanlon and Alison Hammond stepping in as guest co-presenters alongside regular host Ben Shephard.
The iPad Incident That 'Wrecked' Equipment
During today's broadcast on March 2, Shephard wasted no time in revealing Deeley's mishap to viewers. "She's back and you know what she's already done?" the 51-year-old presenter teased at the opening of the show. Deeley responded with "Oh, go on then, tell them," prompting Shephard to disclose that she had accidentally sat on an iPad before the live broadcast.
Deeley elaborated on the incident, explaining her thought process: "I was putting my shoe on and I thought, 'You know what, I need to sit down, [or] I'm gonna fall on my face and lose my teeth.' And so I sat on it and it just went [cracking noise]. So I've blown the budget already, my butt." The presenter described having "wrecked" the device in what she framed as a budget-busting accident.
Fan Reaction to Deeley's Absence and Replacement Presenters
During Deeley's unexplained absence last week, viewers took to social media platform X to express confusion and debate about the temporary replacements. When Irish presenter Angela Scanlon, 42, appeared for a second consecutive day, fans questioned Deeley's whereabouts with comments including "Where's Cat?" and "Team, where's Cat?"
Some viewers were critical of the guest presenters, with one asking "How far down the list of replacements was Angela Scanlon?" while another commented "Get rid of her and I may watch again." A third viewer suggested Scanlon should "try better to disguise reading the autocue."
However, other fans defended the guest presenters enthusiastically. One supporter wrote: "Angela Scanlon is a total breath of fresh air on This Morning today! She stepped in at the last minute for Cat Deeley and the chemistry with Ben Shephard is already top-tier. Can we see more of this duo?" Additional positive comments included "Angela is great, natural, down to earth" and even "Can we please replace Cat Deeley with Angela Scanlon?"
Previous On-Air Compliment About Deeley's Appearance
This incident follows another memorable moment involving Deeley on the show. Previously, the presenter was left blushing when co-star Clodagh McKenna complimented her bottom during a cooking segment. After Deeley showcased a tight-fitting pair of jeans on social media upon returning from half-term break, McKenna didn't hold back during the kitchen segment.
While discussing ingredients for a carbonara bake that included "cheek" pork meat, McKenna joked: "Is it the cheek or the bottom? A cheeky bottom. I did mention earlier and I'm not sure I can mention this on TV but I did say earlier how good Cat's bottom is looking in these jeans. They really do. I said she's got to wear these jeans every day on the show, viewership will soar!"
Deeley was seen covering her behind while blushing and responding: "Oh my God, thank you... You are very, very kind and I think I'm probably blushing a bit now." The presenter continued giggling alongside Shephard before McKenna concluded: "I hope I didn't embarrass you! Now, onto my pork cheeks."
This Morning continues to air weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX, with Deeley now back in her regular presenting role alongside Shephard following her brief absence and eventful return marked by the iPad mishap.
