Schofield and Willoughby stepped down from their presenting roles at the troubled show in May and October respectively – with Schofield first thought to have chosen to depart after reports of a rift with Willoughby, but a week later, publicly admitted to lying about having an affair with a younger colleague during his time at ITV.
The broadcasting company announced the news exclusively on the official This Morning social media channels earlier today, with a specially-made commercial introducing the two seasoned presenters and confirming their new roles.
Deeley and Shephard have been two of a rotating lineup of guest presenters of the show in recent months, but have now been confirmed to be taking over permanently.
“This really feels like a very special moment for Cat and I to be part of the next chapter of This Morning,” Shephard commented as his new permanent presenting role was announced today.
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“It’s an honour to be trusted with the reins, join Alison and Dermot and all the team that work on and off screen, and do such a great job.
“For the last 10 years, I’ve been waking up with our ITV daytime audience on GMB and I now look forward to spending time with Cat, welcoming the viewers home after the school run or from their early morning routines, with a cup of tea and a mix of everything that makes This Morning so loved.”
ITV has announced Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard as the new permanent This Morning presenters / Credit: ITV
Cat added: “This Morning is a national institution.
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“Whenever it’s on, it’s like having your friends over – funny, smart, silly, heartfelt, informative and joyful – like all the greatest friendships. This Morning is and always will be the viewer’s show. Ben and I both know how much people love it, and with the help of an amazing team of people, we’re going to do our best to take care of it.”
Deeley and Shephard will make their debut hosting This Morning next month, and will front the Monday to Thursday shows.
Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary will then present on Fridays.
Speaking on Deeley and Shephard’s new roles, Emma Gormley – who is the Managing Director at ITV Studios Daytime – said: “I feel immensely proud of everyone working on This Morning, as for a programme that has evolved many times over the last 35 years, it remains just as relevant and exciting as ever.
“We are thrilled to have Ben and Cat as our new This Morning hosts, and cannot wait to see them on that famous sofa together soon.”
Featured Image – ITV
TV & Showbiz
A new Shrek-themed cafe has opened at Primark in Manchester
Thomas Melia
There’s a new Shrek-themed cafe in Manchester city centre – and Donkey’s prayers for waffles have finally been answered by none other than clothing retailer Primark.
The back corner of the bargain fashion store on Market Street has been taken over by vines and fairytale characters as Shrek comes to town.
The cafe has been home to many iconic brands since its launch, one of the most notable being its 2019 debut as Central Perk, the go-to coffee hot-spot from TV Series Friends.
Shrek himself will also be paying a visit to the store in the coming weeks to sample some of the delicious delights customers can try such as nachos, waffles, shakes and bubble teas – each one with an ogre twist (yes, that is green cheese you see).
The Cafe is Shrek-ogeddon from head to toe with the menu paying homage to some familiar faces from the franchise.
Shoppers can indulge in ‘Fairy Godmother’s Potions’ which are a selection of sweet fruity concoctions, or treat your tastebuds to some Swampchos or Toastie ‘Slabs’, which are more appetising than they sound.
The grand entrance to the Shrek cafe in ManchesterA mural dedicated to the main ogre himself – Shrek!Inside the Shrek Cafe at Primark Credit: The Manc Group
After all those scrumptious snacks you’ll definitely be saying ‘I Need A Hero’ as you face your own battle – the dreaded food coma.
The Shrek Far Far Away Cafe will be a Manchester mainstay til the beginning of November, giving everyone the opportunity to have their happy ever after.
There’s also a handful of Shrek merchandise available storewide that fans and customers alike can get their hands on all-year-round.
Tim Kelly, director of new business development at Primark said: “We’ve gone Far, Far Away to find the inspiration for our latest cafe theme, bringing all the fun in the kingdom to our Primark cafes”.
“Our revolving themes have been so popular with our customers, giving them more reasons to visit their local store. We can’t wait to welcome fans to the cafes and hope they enjoy our limited-edition menu fit for a fairytale!”
And if that wasn’t enough to whet your appetite, fans of the iconic film franchise have just over two years to wait until Shrek 5 debuts in theatres on 1 July 2026.
You can visit the Shrek Cafe at Primark on Market Street and at the Trafford Centre in Manchester now.
Mancs wanted for new BBC adventure travel show with ‘life-changing’ prize
Emily Sergeant
Are you a fan of travelling? Got a bit of a competitive streak in your nature? This might just be your calling then.
The BBC is currently casting for a brand-new travel adventure series.
At this point, not a great deal is known about the new series, with a lot of the details seemingly being kept under wraps, but the broadcaster has revealed that the show currently has the working title of ‘Destination X’, and is being described as “the world’s biggest guessing game”.
The show’s producers, Twofour, are on the look-out for budding travel enthusiasts who love solving clues, playing detective, and outsmarting their competition.
Not only does the experience promise to be “an epic journey”, but there’s also the chance to win a life-changing prize.
Casting is closing towards the end of this week (6 September), and filming for the show is set to begin next month and run through to November.
Putting out a UK-wide casting call for the show on the BBC website, producers Twofour wrote: Have you got what it takes to play the world’s biggest guessing game? Twofour are now casting for the BBC’s brand new travel adventure series. If you love solving clues, playing detective and outsmarting your competition, then we want to hear from you.
“This experience promises to be an epic journey, with a chance to win a life-changing prize.”
Fancy it then? Applications for the exciting new series are now open for anyone over 18 years of age, with a deadline date of this Friday (6 September 2024), and you can find out more information and apply via the BBC website.
Emily Sergeant -
16th February 2024 
