This Morning presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary were left red-faced after a guest cheekily referenced Ben Shephard's reported arrival on the show. The incident occurred during Wednesday's episode when contestant Edward Oldfield presented a framed photo of Ben Shephard, saying: 'I'm going to leave that there for him, is that ok? A little mention to Ben!'
Alison and Dermot laughed awkwardly, with Dermot simply replying: 'Thanks for that!' Edward then quipped: 'I'll get one of you two done, now that I've met you, don't worry!' The exchange comes amid reports that Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley will permanently replace Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on the ITV daytime show from next month.
According to the Daily Mirror, an insider claimed: 'The cat's out of the bag - they are the new dream team. ITV is planning to announce Cat and Ben as their new star pairing in March.' The source added that Ben is 'well known and loved' by ITV's daytime audience, while Cat is a 'very recognisable face' from her kids' TV days, noting her warm and funny persona alongside Ant and Dec on SMTV Live.
It is understood Ben and Cat will follow Holly and Phil's schedule, hosting from Monday to Thursday during term-time and taking summers off. Dermot and Alison are expected to continue as regular Friday and school holiday presenters. Since Holly and Phillip's departure, the show has featured a rotation of guest hosts including Emma Willis, Rylan Clark, and Rochelle Humes.
However, reports last month suggested Cat had originally 'turned down' the job offer. At the time, an ITV spokesman said: 'We don't comment on speculation,' and a representative for Cat Deeley also declined to comment.
