Ben Shephard breaks silence on This Morning replacement following Holly's ITV exit

Scots TV presenter Storm Huntley is now the bookies' favourite to replace Holly Willoughby on This Morning.

Good Morning Britain stars Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard appeared to squirm as they tried to avoid the show getting into trouble because of a Hollywood star. The pair were back at the helm of the ITV news programme on Thursday (October 19) with Kate stepping in for Susanna Reid, who announced her two-week break at the end of Wednesday's show.

Scottish TV presenter Storm Huntley, 36, has been tipped as a 'front runner' to replace Holly Willoughby on This Morning following her shock announcement last week that she was stepping down from the flagship ITV programme after 14 years.

Good Morning Britain saw something of a shake-up during Monday's (October 16) episode with singer Duncan James stepping in for Entertainment Editor Richard Arnold. Richard, 53, usually hosts a segment focusing on news in the showbiz world, but he was absent from today's show, with Duncan, 45, presenting the showbiz segment instead.The singer-turned-presenter spoke to hosts Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley about the recent Strictly Come Dancing news and gossip, and Madonna's new tour which kicked off at London's O2 Arena.

Bosses at ITV are said to be considering moving Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard from their regular presenting position at Good Morning Britain, with the pair potentially fronting This Morning instead.The This Morning team have reportedly entered discussions with Kate, 56, and Ben, 48, following Holly Willoughby's resignation from the show. Ben recently hosted an episode of This Morning alongside Holly back in September and has since confirmed that he will be appearing on the show a few more times in the run-up to Christmas. And it seems that his longtime GMB co-host Kate could be joining him on the This Morning sofas.

Holly Willoughby made a shocking announcement earlier this week confirming she would be stepping down from her hosting duties on This Morning after 14 years of presenting the flagship programme.

Ben Shephard appeared to want to change the subject as quickly as possible following his co-star Susanna Reid's quip about a 'quickie' during their Good Morning Britain reunion. The pair were back at the helm of the ITV news programme on Thursday (October 12) after they were last seen walking the red carpet together at the Pride of Britain Awards over the weekend.

Holly Willoughby confirmed her exit from This Morning on Tuesday, October 10 after a whirlwind of a year for the star.

Holly Willoughby shocked TV viewers when she dramatically quit her presenting role on ITV's This Morning after 14 years.The 42 year old star shared a surprise statement on Tuesday, 10 October, that said she was leaving the show and "will not be returning." It began: “I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning.To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so much.This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we’ve done together." But now fans believe she's in talks to join the BBC, suggesting that Phillip Schofield could join her. Holly's This Morning co-host Phillip quit the show himself in May this year, after he admitted to a relationship with a younger male former colleague.

Holly Willoughby fans across the nation were left heartbroken yesterday after she revealed that she'd be stepping down from her role at This Morning with immediate effect.The 42 year old took to Instagram to share the news, and released a heartfelt statement thanking the show and all who works on it. Plus, the "wonderful viewers," who she labelled as "loyal," "supportive" and "the very best of company everyday." Holly first joined the iconic ITV show back in 2009, and over the last 14 years has cemented herself as a national treasure, not to mention a presenting legend.

It's been a tough year for This Morning, with the show seeing more presenter switch ups in the last six months than it has over its three decade plus run. Just yesterday, national treasure Holly Willoughby shocked the nation by stepping down from her role after 14 years as she said goodbye to the iconic sofa for good.The 42 year took to Instagram to announce her departure, sharing that she made the decision for "me and my family." But of course, long before Holly arrived on the scene, This Morning was home to a string of iconic presenters, some who served long stints and others who swiftly moved on to pastures new.

Holly Willoughby is said to be in a ‘bad way’ after quitting This Morning after an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her came to light. The 42 year old presenter announced on Tuesday that she was leaving the popular daytime show after 14 years for the sake of herself and her family. Sources said the move had left Holly “devastated” while also coming as a “real shock” to This Morning bosses, who were said to be confident they were sufficiently supporting the star during the worrying time.

This Morning stars Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary led messages to Holly Willoughby following her announcement that she will not return to the ITV programme.

Holly Willoughby, 42, had taken the reins as This Morning 's lead presenter following Phillip Schofield 's exit earlier this year. However, following an alleged kidnap plot, the host decided it was time to leave the show "for me and my family". Now, bookies believe her beloved co-star Alison Hammond will replace her as the main presenter.

Good Morning Britain presenter Ben Shephard has broken his silence on the possibility of joining the This Morning team on a more permanent basis, after stepping in to co-host the show last month following the departure of Phillip Schofield. Since Phillip left the ITV daytime show in May after admitting to having an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger colleague, Holly Willoughby has been joined by a number of guest co-stars including Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle.

Richard Madeley, who formerly hosted This Morning, has revealed he is still in contact with good pal Phillip Schofield who stepped back from all his roles at ITV following a confirmed affair with a younger male colleague.

Richard Madeley has revealed he got in touch with Phillip Schofield following his ITV exit to offer a message of support. The former This Morning host called Phillip’s sacking from the show “brutal” and said he felt “very sorry” for the presenter, after he left the show after admitting an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger colleague. Phillip had been a regular presenter on the show for over 20 years and it is still being decided who will replace him following his departure.

This Morning fans were surprised to see Alison Hammond on the show as they tuned into the penultimate episode of the week. The presenter suddenly replaced Holly Willoughby on the ITV daytime show on Thursday (October 5) and took to the helm with Jose Gibson.

Ben Shephard appeared to struggle to get a word in edgeways as he and Kate Garraway tackled Transport Secretary Mark Harper over the Prime Minister's decision to scrap HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester. The MP appeared on Good Morning Britain on Thursday (October 5) after it was announced on Wednesday (October 4) by Rishi Sunak at the end of the Conservative Party Conference.

Phillip Schofield and his estranged wife Stephanie Lowe were seen out together in London on Monday, marking the pair's first public outing together since the TV presenter admitted to having affair during their marriage. Phillip, 61, was joined by Stephanie, 59, on 4 October in west London alongside their daughter Molly, 30, in a rare family outing.The dad-of-two, who also shares daughter Ruby, 27, with Stephanie, looked downcast as he strolled alongside his wife, who appeared stony faced.