Josie Gibson shares real reason she missed out on replacing Holly Willoughby on This Morning
This Morning's Josie Gibson has opened up about why she didn't step into Holly Willoughby's shoes on the popular ITV show. The 39 year old joined the daytime programme in 2019 as a segment host and has since become a relief presenter.
When Holly, now 43, announced her departure last year, there was speculation that Josie might take over. However, Cat Deeley, 47, and Ben Shephard, 49, were later revealed as the new faces of This Morning, replacing Holly and Phillip Schofield, 62, who also left the show last year. Josie continues to be a stand-in presenter.
In a recent chat with the Daily Mail, Josie explained that living outside of London with her five year old son Reggie, whom she shares with an ex-partner, would have made it difficult for her to fill one of the vacancies left by Holly and Phil. "If I lived in London I would have loved the job," she said.
"But I don't live in London, I live [in Bath], and this is where I am, and this where my family is this, where my life is." She added that she will "never get this time back" as a parent to her son.
Josie also revealed that she had "always wanted to be a presenter", expressing her heartfelt thanks to the producers for spotting "something" in her. She praised This Morning in an interview, saying: "This Morning have been so good to me."
She also mentioned how understanding the team has been about her parental duties, noting she's "juggling" them with work.
Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard were announced as the fresh faces of ITV's This Morning in February, taking over hosting duties from Monday to Thursday. Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary continue to present on Fridays. Ahead of their debut, Cat, known for her role on So You Think You Can Dance, expressed her excitement: "I can't wait to be a part of the team, from the crew and producers, to the brilliant presenters."
She also mentioned missing the camaraderie of working with others, adding: "I've been hosting solo for the past few years and I've really missed that sense of camaraderie, it will be great to be a part of such an incredible team."
Ben, who has previously presented Good Morning Britain, couldn't hide his enthusiasm either: "This Morning is my dream combination of a lie in, eating cheesecakes and working with a fantastic team! I'm really excited, I've loved the show for years and it feels a real privilege to be there Monday to Thursday."
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV1 and ITVX.
