THE new host of This Morning Ben Shephard “refused to sign the contract until he knew who he’d be working with”.
The Good Morning Britain star, 49, and new co-presenter Cat Deeley, 47, will permanently replace Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on the ITV lunchtime show from next month.
But Tipping Point‘s Ben “held off” from making it official until he was told who he’d be presenting alongside with.
The Mail reported that the relaunch date of This Morning had been pushed back because Cat’s US work commitments.
“The negotiations were all about Cat’s diary and her commitments to So You Think You Can Dance and fulfilling her contract in the US,” an insider at ITV told the publication.
“She wanted to make sure she was doing the right thing by them.
“Cat always wanted to do it but it was about logistics and they were not easy.”
Cat had her hands full as she finished work on the US reality show, So You Think You Can Dance, which she has fronted since 2006.
Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, who host the show on Fridays, confirmed The Sun’s exclusive story today as they announced the huge signing.
They gave the pair a warm welcome with a photo of Cat and Ben appearing on the screen and said they’ll step in to host on Mondays to Thursdays from March onwards.
Ben also featured in a teaser trailer which saw him hanging his portrait on the wall backstage at the ITV studios.
He turned to the camera and said: “See you soon!” before the portrait of Cat flashed a wink.
Sharing the news with viewers, Alison said: “We’re so, so happy! The news is finally out, it’s finally out.”
And Dermot added: “Welcome to the family!”
Good Morning Britain star Ben, 49, who hosted with TV veteran Cat on the sofa for one day in December, confirmed that he had signed up permanently in a statement released on Friday.
He said: “This really feels like a very special moment for Cat and I to be part of the next chapter of This Morning.
“It’s an honour to be trusted with the reigns, join Alison and Dermot and all the team that work on and off screen and do such a great job.
“For the last ten years I’ve been waking up with our ITV daytime audience on GMB and I now look forward to spending time with Cat, welcoming the viewers home after the school run or from their early morning routines, with a cup of tea and a mix of everything that makes This Morning so loved.”
Cat, 47, added: “This Morning is a national institution.
“Whenever it’s on, it’s like having your friends over – funny, smart, silly, heartfelt, informative and joyful – like all the greatest friendships!
“This Morning is and always will be the viewer’s show.
“Ben and I both know how much people love it, and with the help of an amazing team of people, we’re going to do our best to take care of it.”
The Sun revealed that the pay for the new duo is understood to be around £550,000 each — £150,000 less than Holly and Phil.
It comes after weeks of wrangling over contracts and speculation over Cat was being forced to quit her presenting role in the US.
She has hosted So You Think You Can Dance? since 2006.
