Daily Mail: Good Morning Britain's Ben Shephard breaks silence

Story from Daily Mail:

Ben Shephard has broken his silence on rumours he's swapping Good Morning Britain for ITV This Morning as a permanent replacement for axed Phillip Schofield.

The TV presenter, 48, has been a hit with viewers because he has recently joined Holly Willoughby to host the 10am to 12.30pm show.

While chaperoning Susanna Reid at the ITV Pride of Britain Awards, Ben, from Essex, was quizzed over his possible permanent future on the programme.

He told The Mirror: 'What I can tell you is I'm doing some more – I'm gonna be doing some more but I'm just helping out really. So I've got some days coming up between now and Christmas.

'So I'm not exactly sure but I'm still very, very much part of the furniture...'

Ben's comments come after it emerged he could be in line for the permanent gig of Phillip's replacement.

A source told the Daily Mail: 'Ben did really well and the bosses loved his partnership with Holly and there was great feedback from many avenues.

'Ben is known throughout ITV as being very popular with the audiences of whatever shows he hosts. He is also trusted by the public and is much loved within ITV. He has hosted so many shows for the channel.

'He and Holly go back years too – he presented on This Morning some years ago and they have a great rapport.'

Ben has previously acted as a stand-in presenter on This Morning, covering for Phillip between 2005 and 2011.

These comments come just days after the once 30-stone security guard, Gavin Plumb, 36, was accused of plotting Holly's kidnap and murder.

It was revealed that the mother-of-three will not be rushed back onto the This Morning sofa by ITV bosses.

Initially, This Morning was going to be built around Holly, 42, with rotating co-hosts, as GMB is with Susanna, but now bosses have changed their minds and want someone they can team her with most days.

Ben, who made his debut on the ITV Daytime show last month, currently rotates with Richard Madeley, Ed Balls and Martin Lewis to host GMB alongside either Susanna or his good friend Kate Garraway.

He stepped in more frequently when Piers Morgan first quit in 2021 and was the main presenter of GMB when it launched in 2014.

He also hosts the ITV quiz Tipping Point, which is pre-recorded, and the Saturday game show Ninja Warrior UK.

While he has also anchored shows such as The Krypton Factor and ITV2 spin-off programme The Xtra Factor, Ben has 23 years experience of presenting on breakfast television.

He joined the long-running programme GMTV in 2000 where he presented Entertainment Today alongside Jenni Falconer.

Phillip Schofield, 61, resigned from ITV earlier this year and was dropped by his agency YMU after admitting to an 'unwise, but not illegal' affair with a younger male colleague.

The former This Morning star said the affair 'never came across' as an abuse of power because he and his lover were 'mates'.

He said it had begun in 2017 following a 'consensual moment' in his dressing room.

Shortly after he was exposed he offered a number of apologies, including to his co-presenter of 14 years, Holly and his wife of 30 years, Stephanie Lowe.owing a 'consensual moment' in his dressing room.