ITV bosses are reportedly considering Tess Daly and Vernon Kay as potential hosts for This Morning, should current presenters Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard leave the show. The married couple, who have been together since 2003, are said to have impressed executives with their natural chemistry during a recent appearance on The One Show.
According to a source cited by The Sun, ITV executives were struck by the pair's husband-and-wife banter, which they believe could bring back the 'effortless magic' of former hosts Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. The source claimed that bosses are 'obsessed' with recreating that dynamic and see Tess and Vernon as the perfect fit.
However, an ITV spokesperson told The Mirror: '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. 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.'
Tess and Vernon recently stood in for Alex Jones and Roman Kemp on This Morning while the usual presenters were filming the BBC's 500 Words competition. Their appearance was well-received by viewers, with one fan writing: 'It was so lovely to see you on the TV Tess. I let out an “ahhhh” when I saw you with your lovely hubby.'
The couple first met while working as presenters on separate shows—Vernon on Channel 4's T4 and Tess on ITV's SMTV—and later co-hosted the BBC singing competition Just the Two of Us in 2006. Tess stepped down from her long-running role as co-host of Strictly Come Dancing at the end of the last series.
