Josie Gibson broke down in tears during a heartbreaking segment about grief on Tuesday’s This Morning.
The presenter was joined by co-star Craig Doyle, agony aunt Deidre Sanders and Annabel Croft – who lost her husband last year – as they offered advice about dealing with grief during a viewer phone-in.
She was unable to control her emotions during one call, in which grieving mother Shelley detailed her life following the death of her teenage daughter, who died aged 19 after suffering an illness.
Josie was seen quietly dabbing at her eyes as Shelley explained: ‘I’m just so heartbroken, every day is so hard. she was so brave and amazing throughout the two years of her illness.
‘I go into her room and just say good morning and good night to her every night I just don’t know how to deal with this.’
Josie has been co-hosting This Morning this week after posting about ‘drama’ and ‘disrespect’ as she was snubbed for Cat Deeley.
On Friday, Cat, 47, and Ben Shephard, 49, were unveiled as the new permanent hosts of This Morning.
They are set to make their debut next month, following the exit of Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
Last month Josie spoke about speculation over her whereabouts after fans wondered if had she quit the show. She shared to Instagram: ‘Alreeet lovers, Just to confirm, I have not left This Morning.
‘I keep getting asked why I’ve left, so I thought it’s easier to clear up the rumour mill on here. I am eternally grateful for all your love and support and I can not thank you enough.’
However, during her time away from This Morning, Josie posted a number of cryptic posts, including some thoughts about taking space away from ‘drama’.
She posted a quote on her Instagram Story that read: ‘The older you get the more you choose calm over conflict and distance over disrespect.
‘Drama becomes intolerant to you and your peace becomes your ultimate priority. You start surrounding yourself with people who are good for your mental health, heart and soul.’
Shortly after uploading the post, the mum-of-one quickly deleted the quote from her page.
A source told OK!: ‘Josie wears her heart on her sleeve and sometimes does things – like post on her social media – as a knee-jerk reaction without thinking. Then she thinks about it afterwards.
‘She was likely hoping that she’d come out of the jungle and be the automatic choice for the top job at This Morning after Holly left. But ITV are still trying people out. Josie is turning her back on the drama and the This Morning hurt from Holly leaving.’
Last month, insiders revealed Cat and Ben had scooped the coveted roles of permanent hosts in the wake of stalwart stars Holly and Phil leaving.
It was alleged that Cat wanted Rylan Clark as a co-host rather than Ben and will ‘not receive special treatment’ to permit her Monday to Thursday role on This Morning and continue her £344k-a season role on the American dance show.
Sources revealed: ‘Cat will not get any special treatment… She will absolutely not be given time off to film the next series of So You Think You Can Dance. So she has to make that decision, it’s one or the other, end of.’
Cat is said to have ‘really wanted the job’ but had concerns over her husband Patrick Kielty’s commitments in Ireland and how they would juggle the jobs.
The insider continued: ‘Cat told friends that she wanted the job, if ‘she could make it work.’ However, she also feared that Patrick’s commitments in Ireland made things very tricky for her to take the job. She also really, really wanted to do it with Rylan.’
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.
