THIS Morning is in panic mode, with viewing figures halved and job cuts hitting morale.
Now ITV bosses consider they’ll save the ailing juggernaut by recruiting golden couple Tess Daly and Vernon Kay.
According to extremely positioned trade sources, a top-secret plot is being hatched to lure the husband-and-wife duo to the well-known blue couch.
The plan comes as present hosts, Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, method the tip of their contracts, with no certainty that they are going to be renewed and executives reportedly “keen to move quickly” to safe a revamp.
But poaching Tess and Vernon from the BBC received’t be simple, with insiders warning that the This Morning gig has become a “poisoned chalice” — and places even the strongest marriages underneath unbelievable pressure.
To perceive why, bosses want solely lookup on the storm clouds which have gathered over present host Cat’s troubled tenure.
Parachuted in to save the show in 2024 alongside Ben, TV chiefs thought the the Brummie host would add a contact of Hollywood sparkle after her time spent presenting So You Think You Can Dance in the US.
Instead, her polished, LA-honed persona has left her going through accusations of being “unrelatable” to the typical British daytime viewer.
‘It’s crunch time now’
Behind the scenes, the state of affairs is much more fraught. Following her separation last year from TV presenter husband of 13 years, Patrick Kielty, 49-year-old Cat has had a sequence of unexplained absences.
One insider sadly famous: “Cat seems more detached from the job than ever. No one is sure if she would agree to stay on even if she was asked. Her departure is being openly talked about behind the scenes.”
The lightbulb second for ITV bosses reportedly got here after watching Tess, 56, and Vernon, 51, effortlessly co-host BBC’s The One Show nearly two weeks in the past.
It was the primary time the couple had offered collectively in almost 20 years and audiences lapped it up.
“You and Vern presenting together is everything,” stated one fan.
Another added: “You make the atmosphere so relaxed and perfect for viewers at home.”
ITV high brass had been additionally watching and agreed with the viewers.
An insider stated: “It was a complete no-brainer the second they noticed them on The One Show couch.
“Execs have been candy on Vernon for ages, however the pair’s pure husband-and-wife banter made them realise precisely what This Morning has been lacking.
“They are obsessive about discovering the subsequent Richard and Judy, and Tess and Vernon have that very same easy magic.
“Audiences are notoriously robust on new faces, however they fully fell in love with their northern allure.
“It’s crunch time now. Cat and Ben’s contracts end this spring, and viewing figures are still disappointing. Bosses are totally convinced this duo is the lifeline the show needs.”
The comparability to Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan is the holy grail for producers, harking again to a time when This Morning was the jewel in the crown of daytime TV — with a legendary couch that hosted Hollywood royalty and prime ministers.
When Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby teamed up to host the show in 2009, they replicated that bond as tv “besties”.
But that easy magic has vanished after Schofield stop following his admission that he lied about his relationship with a youthful male colleague, inflicting a rift with Holly, who additionally subsequently left.
Ben continues to be universally beloved as a protected pair of arms, however changing Holly and Phil was all the time going to be an uphill battle underneath the darkish cloud of the earlier poisonous office allegations, together with Phil’s affair.
Cat’s star energy and Ben’s seasoned professionalism couldn’t halt the show’s sliding viewing figures. Over one million folks tuned in to watch their first show, however now common round 550,000.
It can be being trounced by BBC competitor Morning Live — hosted by Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones, who pull in one million viewers every day.
On paper, although, the timing for a Tess and Vernon takeover is ideal.
Tess is at present a free agent after she and Claudia Winkleman stop as co-hosts of Strictly Come Dancing.
After greater than 20 years of donning sequins and commanding the ballroom, she is looking out for her subsequent TV chapter — and to exchange the reported £150,000 she earned per sequence on Strictly.
She can be coming into a brand new section with Vernon, who she married in Bolton in 2003.
The couple are getting ready to become empty nesters now their eldest daughter Phoebe, 21, has moved to New York and youthful sibling Amber, 16, is in school.
They are obsessive about discovering the subsequent Richard and Judy, and Tess and Vernon have that very same easy magic
An insider
Friends say the pair are keener than ever to spend extra time collectively — and what higher method to try this than sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, projecting their relatable, Northern heat on to the nation’s greatest daytime show?
But this tv fairytale is probably going to hit a serious stumbling block.
While Tess is free and really a lot obtainable, her husband is at present in the prime of his profession. Having taken over from Ken Bruce, Vernon now hosts the UK’s most listened-to radio show, which airs on weekdays when This Morning is on ITV.
His slot on BBC Radio 2 instructions a staggering 6.6million listeners, incomes him an annual wage of £390,000 – making him the Beeb’s ninth-highest paid star.
Why, friends are asking, would he danger that universally adored standing to step into the firing line of This Morning?
One supply stated: “Vernon is extremely protecting of his Radio 2 household and intensely loyal to the BBC. He has constructed an exceptional relationship together with his listeners.
“He gets to go into the studio, play brilliant music, have a laugh, and go home without any of the drama that seems to follow daytime television.”
Some have explicitly warned that This Morning is a “poisoned chalice”.
The intense, relentless scrutiny that the hosts are subjected to — from their outfit selections to their interview methods, to their on-screen physique language — is unmatched in British media.
Agreeing to host collectively would imply placing Tess and Vernon’s marriage underneath the microscope of every day scrutiny.
Richard and Judy managed to harness it, however it got here at the price of immense private strain.
Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford did the identical, and whereas they had been sensible on display, their eventual fallout with ITV executives was undeniably bruising and the pair finally divorced in 2024 after 27 years collectively.
Then there’s the gloomy, cut-throat ambiance at present hanging over ITV daytime to think about.
Following a scheduling shake-up to minimize prices, the community slashed each Lorraine and Loose Women to air for simply 30 weeks per 12 months.
Despite downsizing its studio, This Morning survived the axe and stored its year-round slot, proving its standing as ITV’s final standing daytime titan.
For the channel, the stakes couldn’t be greater. If it may possibly persuade Tess and Vernon to signal on the dotted line, ITV will immediately safe probably the most talked-about tv debut of the last decade.
But it could be a big-money gamble for the community when it’s tightening belts elsewhere, with one professional saying they’d possible want to supply a “golden handcuffs” deal north of £1.5million.
Now all that continues to be to be seen is whether or not Britain’s golden couple will take a sip from the poisoned chalice — or politely move it on.
An ITV spokesperson stated: “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.”
