How was Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard's first week on This Morning?
Watch Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard's first day on This Morning
Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard have completed their first week as full-time This Morning presenters, so how did they get on?
Replacing presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield was going to be a challenging feat for ITV. Schofield stepped down after his "unwise but not illegal" affair with a younger male colleague last year. Only five months later, Willoughby also quit after she was the target of an alleged kidnapping and murder plot.
Their This Morning partnership lasted 14 years so it was only natural that ITV wanted to take its time to think about who would be the best possible replacements. Many presenters were trialled on rotation from Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, to Rochelle Humes and Rylan Clark.
ITV bosses announced Deeley, 47, and Shephard, 49, would take on the full-time roles Monday-Thursday back in February. After months of waiting, all eyes were on presenting pair Deeley and Shephard on their first day on 11 March and for the rest of this week.
It was a busy week for the stars who interviewed some of the UK's biggest showbiz stars including music legend Rod Stewart and Bake Off host Prue Leith.
Read more: Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield: Their on-screen history together
We take a look at what Deeley and Shephard had to say as well as how This Morning fans responded to the new hosts as the week has gone on...
How did Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard find it?
After their first week, Deeley and Shephard revealed how they were really feeling about their new jobs on the This Morning's Instagram account. The presenting duo celebrated their first week presenting the show together.
Shephard said: "It's been a good week hasn't it?"
Agreeing it had been a "super fun" week, his co-host said it was "really lovely". Deeley replied: "Yeah, it's been lovely. Really lovely."
Shephard also shared that the duo had been made to feel welcome by the whole crew on the show. He added: "It's been a lovely week. The team has looked after us brilliantly. There's been so much in it."
Playfully Deeley and Shephard addressed their new partnership too but they both agreed that they had good fun together and couldn't wait for next week to come around. Deeley said: "You're alright actually. I don't mind you."
Shephard joked: "Fair to middling?"
Deeley teased her co-host as she disagreed with him. Instead, she jested saying he was "okay" to work with.
He teased back: "You were better than I expected... I've got very low expectations! Trust me."
Deeley joked things could only go down after their high-flying week. She said: "I'm starting up here, so it's only downhill from here Shephard."
On a more serious note, Shephard concluded they had a fantastic week. "It's been brilliant Deeley," he said. "Thank you for a lovely week. We'll do it all again next week."
What did Yahoo's columnist Ian Hyland say?
Yahoo's entertainment columnist Ian Hyland ruled it would take more than Shephard and Deeley to revive This Morning. He wrote: "I fear it's going to take more than a couple of new big name presenters for This Morning to overcome the Beeb’s formidable ad-free and phone competition-free obstacle. I would argue that a new set and a complete format rethink is required."
However, our columnist did praise Shephard and Deeley on their great presenting skills after their first day on This Morning.
He added: "To be fair, Cat and Ben delivered their big line with gusto each time. And to be even fairer, they anchored the entire two and a half hour show at a canter.
"That wasn’t exactly a surprise. If ITV’s executives were looking for some safe hands to steer This Morning out of its recent treacherous waters they could hardly have made a better choice."
Viewers shared their verdict on Cat and Ben
Initially This Morning fans complained about the hosts' debut. Among the social media frenzy, one person commented: "I was at least expecting the #ThisMorning logo to have their names on as the new permanent Monday to Thursday presenters."
One complained: "#ThisMorning ..same old set, theme tune, graphics and segments. Even same opening titles - couldn’t even be bothered to add Ben and Cat in like the old previous hosts. This was ITV's chance to rejuvenate the program and move on from the past – and they missed it."
Another observed: "You could have started the NEW @thismorning 100 times better than this – awful and such a shame! #ThisMorning."
As the week went on, This Morning viewers celebrated the new hosts for being "refreshing" and totally different to the other presenters. Among the comments, one person wrote: "I like Ben and Cat... Much more refreshing..."
Others added: "How refreshing is #thismorning without the continuous giggling from Smugfield and Willoughby who thought they were so funny, but weren't. Ben and Cat are great."
"So happy Cat is back, used to love her back in the day with Ant and Dec! Nice to see someone refreshing and not trying to copy Holly’s style."
"Finally 2 professional presenters what a refreshing change from cackling Alison and attention seeker Dermot, with their constant irritating interruptions. Well done ITV."
"How refreshing is #thismorning without the continuous giggling from Smugfield and Willoughby who thought they were so funny, but weren't. Ben and Cat are great."
Well done Deeley and Shephard, we can't wait for next week...
Read more
'It'll take more than Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley to revive This Morning'
Cat Deeley shares heartbreaking reason she burst into tears on This Morning
This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/this-morning-cat-deeley-ben-shephard-122122405.html
