An interview on ITV's This Morning took a delightfully awkward turn when presenter Josie Gibson found herself on the receiving end of a burst of laughter from Hollywood star Minnie Driver.
An Awkward Exchange Over Intelligence
The moment occurred as Gibson, 40, was chatting to the 55-year-old actress and singer about the upcoming Netflix thriller Run Away, based on a Harlan Coben novel. Driver plays Ingrid Greene, the wife of protagonist Simon, portrayed by James Nesbitt, who is searching for their missing daughter.
While setting up a question about the show's central mystery, Josie Gibson remarked, 'I know I don't sound like it, but I would class myself as quite an intelligent girl.' Her comment prompted Minnie Driver to laugh out loud spontaneously.
'What are you laughing at, Minnie?' a smiling and seemingly disbelieving Gibson asked, pointing at her guest. Fortunately, the atmosphere remained light-hearted, with Gibson herself appearing highly amused by the reaction.
Laughter Quickly Clarified
The Good Will Hunting actress was quick to explain her response, ensuring no offence was taken. 'I'm not laughing at that, it's the way that you said it,' Driver clarified. 'It's like you don't quite believe it, I believe it.'
Any potential tension dissolved instantly. Gibson good-naturedly repeated her original statement—'I would class myself as quite an intelligent girl'—and this time Minnie Driver readily agreed. The interview then continued smoothly.
The series Run Away also features a notable cast including Ruth Jones from Gavin and Stacey, Harry Potter actor Alfred Enoch, and rising star Ellie de Lange.
Emotional Farewells at ITV Daytime
In other This Morning news, co-host Dermot O'Leary shared a heartfelt tribute to colleagues departing the ITV daytime show just days before Christmas. The redundancies, which affect hundreds of staff across programmes like This Morning, Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, and Loose Women, were first announced in May.
Taking to Instagram on Saturday, O'Leary posted a picture of the studio team celebrating in a Christmas-decorated set, notably without the main presenters visible. His caption praised the 'incredible team' for their last day.
'For some, it's the end of an era, for others, the start of a new story,' he wrote. 'I just wanted to say thanks for all their selfless hard work... Turning up with professionalism, humour, and good grace every day. Doing what they do in the shadows… so we get to dance under those lights.'
Fellow ITV stars echoed his sentiments in the comments. Joel Dommett called them 'The best... really amazing bunch,' while Rochelle Humes added, 'The best team ever!' Chef Marcus Bean and Dr Nighat Arif also shared their gratitude and memories.
ITV sources have indicated the cuts are part of a strategy to redirect resources towards drama production. Kevin Lygo, ITV's Managing Director of Media and Entertainment, stated: 'Daytime is a really important part of what we do. These scheduling and production changes will enable us to continue to deliver a schedule... as well generating savings which will allow us to reinvest across the programme budget in other genres.'
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX.
