ITV bosses are celebrating after new This Morning hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard beat last year’s viewing figures by 5 per cent.
The pair, who joined the programme last month, also have higher ratings than Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield got in 2023 and have attracted 4.5 million viewers in just a week.
During their three weeks on-air on the daytime show, viewing has been up compared to the average in the year to date and, during this time, has achieved its highest three performances of the year so far.
Ms Deeley and Mr Shephard, who defected to This Morning from its sister show Good Morning Britain, have also proven popular on digital platforms, with 27.7 million video views of the show on social media.
One ITV insider told the Mail: ‘The truth is that Ben and Cat have made a strong start in just three weeks on-air and everyone is delighted.
‘They’ve already had the top three performances of the year so far during the three weeks, and viewing has been up across those three weeks compared to the year to date average.
‘The bosses are thrilled, it has been a very long year for them… so to see figures that prove things are going so well is a huge boost for everyone involved. They are clearly very popular with the viewers.
‘Holly and Phil were on together for 14 years so it has been a long time since there has been a fresh relaunch – The overall view is that this has been a massive success, it’s great news.’
Ms Deeley, 47, and Mr Shephard, 49, pulled in 1.02 million viewers for their first show and have kept their audience steady since.
They are up against the BBC’s Morning Live, which in January extended its running time to clash with This Morning and hired Helen Skelton as its main female host.
While Morning Live averages slightly higher audiences than This Morning, insiders say it sheds viewers throughout the slot after inheriting a big lead from BBC Breakfast.
Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary have also had a bumper two weeks covering for Ms Deeley and Mr Shephard over the Easter break.
Bosses feel they have found their dream team in the two pairings. ITV chiefs jumped through hoops to hire Ms Deeley, who has been hosting US reality show So You Think You Can Dance since 2005.
Mr Shephard had been previously lined up to host alongside Ms Willoughby before she sensationally quit This Morning last October.
Mr Schofield left last May following a fall out between the pair. He later admitted to the Mail that he had conducted an affair with a much younger This Morning colleague and later lied about it.
On March 26 viewership dipped to 692,500 – which ITV sources say was because it came on the day of a dramatic bridge collapse in Baltimore.
ITV insiders say when major news stories break numbers for This Morning can dip. But bosses are more interested in building their audience and raising year-on-year ratings.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
