‘This Morning’ Audiences Highlight Significant Overlooked Chance with Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard’s Addition

 

Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard have officially commenced their roles as the leading hosts of This Morning, though some audience members have suggested the programme remains unchanged, despite promises of a new chapter.

On the Monday edition of the popular ITV morning programme, the duo made their first appearance as hosts together, following last month’s announcement that they would be taking over from Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.

Following the departure of the former lead hosts last year, the programme has seen a variety of guest presenters step in, including Dermot O’Leary, Allison Hammond, Rylan, and Josie Gibson.

During their initial episode, Deeley, aged 47, and Shephard, aged 49, expressed their eagerness about their upcoming journey, and also featured messages from famous friends and colleagues offering their best wishes.

Among the well-wishers were Ant and Dec, who, alongside Deeley, were known for presenting the Saturday morning children’s show SMTV Live during the late ’90s and early ’00s.

“Enjoy every moment, we’re eager to tune in,” Dec remarked, with Ant then providing Shephard with some humorous counsel on working alongside Deeley. “She may appear all sweetness and light, but she knows how to enjoy a good party. Don’t be fooled!” he advised, followed by Dec jokingly warning, “Better secure the drinks cabinet!”

Despite the hosts greeting viewers with beaming smiles during their debut episode, a number of audience members have voiced their disappointment over the decision by the show’s producers not to refresh the opening credits with visuals of the new hosts.

Furthermore, the set in London has been left unchanged, lacking any new design features that would mark the tenure of Deeley and Shephard as distinct from their predecessors.

A viewer commented on social media, “Big new era for #ThisMorning starts today, AND…they’ve not altered anything on the set, the features are all the same, and it feels like Ben and Cat are merely the latest additions to a long line of presenters, rather than heralding a genuinely fresh start, which is what it really should signify.”

Another viewer expressed their dissatisfaction, saying, “It’s the same old set, theme tune, graphics, and segments. They didn’t even bother to update the opening titles to include Ben and Cat like they did with the previous hosts.”

One individual voiced a critique of ITV, pointing out what they saw as a missed chance to break away from the show’s historical baggage. They expressed disappointment, stating, “This was ITV’s chance to rejuvenate the programme and move on from the past – and they missed it.”

In a similar vein, another viewer offered praise for the new presenters’ abilities but expressed regret over the absence of innovative elements within the show. They commented, “As good as Cat and Ben are, today would have been an ideal opportunity to completely relaunch and refresh #ThisMorning with a makeover – new features, change of format, updated set, new contributors etc. As it is, it feels exactly the same.”

This Morning is broadcast on weekdays at 10 am on ITV1 and ITVX.