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Ben’s ‘clean-cut image’ was also a factor in his getting the job
Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard are reportedly set to be revealed as the new permanent hosts of ITV’s This Morning, succeeding Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.
The pair, who have individually guest-hosted the show, are said to have impressed ITV executives with their ‘chemistry,’ potentially demonstrated in an unaired screen test.
According to The Sun, 49-year-old Ben’s ‘clean-cut image’ was a contributing factor, distancing the show from Phillip’s scandalous affair with a younger male colleague.
Meanwhile, Cat, 47, has garnered popularity with viewers, who dubbed her the ‘perfect choice’ when she filled in for Holly amid family-related reasons and a thwarted kidnap and murder plot.
A source mentioned, ‘Cat really impressed when she came in, and Ben is a consummate professional and hugely popular with the housewife demographic.’
‘[Ben is] an extremely safe pair of hands, has real gravitas, and doesn’t have a whiff of scandal around him — he’s purer than pure.’
The source emphasized the importance of chemistry in the decision-making process.
Cat and Ben are reportedly in final negotiations with the broadcaster, expecting annual salaries of £550,000, which is £150,000 less than their predecessors. Phil and Holly were reportedly paid £700,000 each annually for their roles.
