Replacing Fern: Our Contenders
This Morning needs a new leading lady.
With yesterday’s news that Fern Britton was stepping down from presenting ITV’s This Morning we take look a look at some possible contenders for joining Phillip Schofield on the daytime show.
Mel Sykes – Today with Des and Mel
Presented the lunch-time chat-show with Des O’Connor for several years on ITV1 until the show was axed. There were rumours of behind-the-scenes disagreements between the two hosts.
The show ran for three years between 2003 and 2006 before being dropped by ITV. Sykes has also presented a variety of other shows such as EastEnders Revealed, Big Breakfast, The British Soap Awards and has also appeared several times on Loose Women. Sykes has also filled in for Paul O’Grady several times when he was absent from his Channel Four chat-show.
Fern Cotton – Top of the Pops
Young presenter who started life as a kiddies presenter before moving up in the world. Cotton has her own radio show. Cotton was co-presenter on Top of the Pops before the BBC decided to retire the music show due to declining ratings.
Cotton co-presented the BBC’s search for a Eurovision entry in 2007 and has co-presented several shows with best friend Holly Willoughby. Is one of the team captains on dire ITV2 show Celebrity Juice. She has also reached large audiences working for the X Factor series.
Kate Garraway – GMTV
Best known for her co-presenting duties on breakfast show GMTV. According to press reports there was a long standing feud between Garraway and Phillips which reportedly came to a head when Phillips was determined that Garraway wouldn’t be her full time replacement on the GMTV sofa when she left the show.
Garraway has been a guest presenter on This Morning before so is familiar with the format of the programme and its team. Also appeared on Loose Women, Strictly Come Dancing, The Wright Stuff and Have I Got News For You. Most recently presented The Biggest Loser for ITV, which aired in an afternoon slot.
Sarah Greene – Various
Has a proven track record of working with Fern’s current This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield having spent six years as the lead presenters on BBC One’s Saturday morning children’s magazine show, Going Live!
She had previously worked on numerous children’s series including Blue Peter. Sarah also, like Phillip, has moved into adult television becoming one of the hosts of former long-running BBC daytime chat show, Pebble Mill as well as other daytime series such as the Channel 4 show Collector’s Lot. She has also worked on This Morning in the past presenting inserts as well as co-hosting for the ITV show.
Fiona Phillips – GMTV
Needless to say what Fiona Phillips is famous for and aside from her time on GMTV she has also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and The Apprentice Does Comic Relief – neither of which she particularly enjoyed according to her column in The Mirror.
Phillips also had a radio show, but was axed due to appallingly low ratings. Her recent television comeback vehicle was banned by Ofcom due to sponsorship issues. Isn’t universally liked.
Myleene Klass – Various
Come to the public attention during Pop Stars when she was one of thousands picked to join new pop-ground Hear Say. After the group folded after a few years Myleene turned her hand at presenting and has since fronted, or co-fronted, a number of different shows including The One Show for the BBC.
Carol Voderman – Countdown
Lady of the letters and numbers on Countdown before bosses decided the show could cope without her and more or less forced her out. Unsurprisingly since her exit ratings for Countdown have indeed declined.
Away from Countdown Vorderman presented a DIY show for ITV1, Tomorrow’s World on BBC Two and a programme on BBC One that investigated paranormal goings-on as well as numerous other shows and even award ceremonies. Has daytime experience, she worked for GMTV when it launched in 1993.
