Josie Gibson has opened up about her role on This Morning, including discussing having not taken over from former co-star Holly Willoughby following her departure.
The presenter, now 39, joined the ITV show in 2019 as a segment host but has since become a relief presenter. Following the news last year that Holly, now 43, would be leaving the show, there had been some speculation that Josie could replace her as one of the main presenters.
Cat Deeley, 47, and Ben Shephard, 49, however were later announced as the replacements for Holly and her former co-host Phillip Schofield, now 62, who also left the show last year. Josie however remains a stand-in presenter.
Big Brother winner Josie recently spoke about This Morning in an interview with the Daily Mail. She suggested that she wouldn’t have been a candidate for one of the vacancies left by Holly and Phil due to living outside of London with her son Reggie, five, whom she shares with an ex-partner.
She told the outlet: “If I lived in London I would have loved the job. 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.” Josie went on to suggest during the recent interview that she will “never get this time back” as a parent to her son.
It was also revealed that Josie had “always wanted to be a presenter” and she expressed gratitude to producers for having seen “something” in her. Further discussing the long-running show, she stated in the interview: “This Morning have been so good to me.” The presenter stated that those behind the show are “really understanding” about her being a parent, adding that she’s “juggling” responsibilities.
Cat and Ben were unveiled as the latest hosts of the ITV show in February ahead of their debut. The pair now front This Morning from Monday to Thursday each week. Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary host on Fridays.
Cat – who’s worked on shows like So You Think You Can Dance – said ahead of their debut: “I can’t wait to be a part of the team, from the crew and producers, to the brilliant presenters.” She added: “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.”
Whilst Ben – who previously hosted Good Morning Britain – said: “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.”
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