Cat Deeley has reportedly turned down the opportunity to replace Holly Willoughby on This Morning.
Following reports she was set to be the new face of the ITV show alongside Ben Shephard, its understood the 47-year-old has decided to return to her former role as host of So You Think You Can Dance in America.
ITV bosses are said to be “gutted” over her decision, after being impressed by her performance as a guest presenter last month.
A source told the Daily Mail how Cat was a huge success with viewers who described her as “brilliant,” “amazing” and “a breath of fresh air.”
The US dance competition So You Think You Can Dance, which the host has presented since 2005, had production halted due to COVID-19.
However, it was unexpectedly rebooted earlier this month and is set to start filming in early spring next year and run until June.
A source told the outlet: “There are a lot of people pulling their hair out right now.”
“The relaunch date was supposed to be in January but that is no way going to happen now.”
“Cat was the answer. She would have been an absolute triumph but they just couldn’t make it work. Now it is a case of back to the drawing board to decide a new plan of action,” the insider added.
Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard were reportedly set to replace Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield as the new full-time presenters of the show.
According to The Sun, pay packets for the new duo was understood to be around £550,000 each — £150,000 less than Holly and Phil.
A source told the outlet: “Cat really impressed when she came in, and Ben is a consummate professional and hugely popular with the housewife demographic.”
Executives at ITV are said to have also considered The Voice presenter Emma Willis, but she also turned the role down due to being unable to commit to four days a week.
Another host considered for the show was 44-year-old Christine Lampard, who rejected the opportunity for similar reasons to Emma.
Regular on the show Josie Gibson will present several shows throughout January, whilst Alison Hammond appears in the Jack and the Beanstalk panto at the Birmingham Hippodrome.
Josie is currently not a contender for the permanent anchor role despite her success on this years I’m A Celebrity.
During Josie’s stint in the Jungle, a host of famous faces have stepped in and presented the show – including Mollie King, Rylan Clark and Andi Peters.
A source at ITV told the Daily Mail that there are potential candidates in the mix but they are “happy to wait to get it right.”
The source added: “They aren’t rushing anything and are committed to waiting until they get the right pairing. It’s always been the aim to have a permanent duo alongside Alison and Dermot.”
The source continued: “But the surprise silver lining to such a tough year for everyone on the show has been the success of the mix of presenters – some of the nation’s favourite faces rotating.”
ITV insiders have said ratings have skyrocketed since Holly left in October, with November and December reaching the highest ratings of 2023 – with peak audiences having exceeded one million.
