This Morning (TV programme)


This Morning is a British daytime magazine programme that is broadcast on ITV. It debuted on 3 October 1988 and is broadcast live every weekday from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm across the United Kingdom, and in the Republic of Ireland by Virgin Media One. The programme features a variety of news, showbiz, fashion, health and beauty, lifestyle, home and garden, food, technology, live phone-ins, and competitions.
The show was originally presented by husband and wife duo Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan for more than a decade after its launch. It is currently presented by Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley from Monday to Thursday with Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond presenting on Fridays.
The daytime programme has aired on ITV for over 35 years, making it one of the longest-running daytime programmes on British television. It won the National Television Award for Best Daytime/Live Magazine Show for 12 years running, from 2011 to 2022.

History

In 1988, ITV decided to create a live daytime morning programme and five regional ITV companies made pilot shows to bid for the national contract:
The first episode of This Morning aired at 10:40am on 3 October 1988 and finished at 12:10pm, live from the Granada studio inside the Albert Dock in Liverpool. An industry insider believed the idea would not work and would be pulled by Christmas 1988, but despite This Morning being launched with no publicity, its ratings quickly rose to a daily average of two million viewers.
In the first few series, the show's "experts" were weatherman Fred Talbot, agony aunt Denise Robertson, medic Dr Chris Steele, cook Susan Brookes, beauty presenter Liz Earle, hair and make-up artists Andrew and Liz Collinge, and wine expert Charles Metcalfe. The theme tune was by David Pringle, who also wrote opening music for Wheel of Fortune, Fun House and The Pyramid Game. To end the first series, in 1989, the show was presented via satellite from the United States at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Produced by Granada's Field Producer, Brian Thomas, the set was built directly in front of 'Sleeping Beauty Castle', a first for Disney.
As part of the show, Talbot used a floating map of the British Isles to report the forecast. A clip of Mark Roberts, a prolific streaker, running onto Talbot's weather map in 1995 is regularly featured on clip shows.
On 2 September 1996, the show was moved to the London Studios on the grounds that it was difficult to get celebrity guests to travel from London to Liverpool.
The show proved newsworthy on several occasions. In 2001, This Morning covered new ground by showing a gay partnership celebration live, and a 2008 interview with Kerry Katona slurring her words also attracted coverage.

2009–2015

ITV relaunched This Morning in 2009 with a new set and with Holly Willoughby replacing Fern Britton as co-host, which saw ratings rise by 20%.
This Morning Cook In!, an interactive cook event, began on 1 March 2010. Each week, five viewers and a celebrity guest cooked along, via Skype, with Gino D'Acampo or Phil Vickery.
From 20 March 2010, This Morning increased from five to seven shows a week, with two new one-hour shows broadcast on the weekends, where Schofield and Willoughby presented pre-recorded links in between compilations of the week's programming. The weekend editions were later dropped from the schedule.
The "Hub" interactive segment was heavily featured from 2010 until 2014. Presenters included Jeff Brazier, Jenni Falconer, Stephen Mulhern, Rylan Clark, Emma Willis,, Samanthi Jayawardena and Matt Johnson.
On 21 August 2013, Carol Vorderman took her first steps towards a 2014 World Record attempt by doing a solo flight to 1,000metres high, live on This Morning. Reporter Jenni Falconer covered the occasion.
On 3 October 2013, This Morning celebrated its 25th anniversary. The programme was broadcast live from its original home at Albert Dock in Liverpool with presenters Phillip Schofield, Eamonn Holmes, Holly Willoughby, Alison Hammond and Ruth Langsford being joined by original presenters Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. Numerous historical clips of the show were aired, including Gene Pitney's miming gaffe from 1989. Keith Lemon presented the weather from the show's famous floating weather map, while Stephen Mulhern presented various items including 'The Hub Sub'. There was speculation concerning whether Fern Britton would return for the 25th anniversary; however, it was confirmed eight days beforehand that she would not.

2015–2018

On 27 August 2015, This Morning broadcast the remaining weeks' shows from the South Bank due to the main studio having a revamp ready for the new series on 1 September. The new series had many changes, including a brand new set, theme music, titles and the new logo being painted onto the outside of the building.
In February 2017, it was announced that The London Studios, where This Morning is filmed, were planned to close for large-scale redevelopment in early 2018, and that This Morning would be relocated to Television Centre during construction. This move became permanent when ITV announced its intention to sell The London Studios in October 2018.
In July 2017, at the start of the summer series, new titles were made to match Langsford and Holmes presenting the show. The titles were different from the usual design, showing a behind-the-scenes look from the doors to the studio, make-up props and room, clothing department and the art gallery with a view of the studio at fast speed with crew in the presenters' place. The show was also retitled This Morning with Eamonn and Ruth. The regular series titles used since 2015 returned on 4 September, when Willoughby and Schofield returned to the show.

2018–2026

From 1 to 5 October 2018, This Morning celebrated 30 years on air. During the week, it broadcast a live wedding, a brief come-back of the classic weather map from Albert Dock, special opening titles, a new app, a live studio audience, a special 30 years bus, as well as special games and guests. On 2 October, an ITV special aired, entitled This Morning: 30 Unforgettable Years. On 12 October, the show aired live coverage of the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank.
From 6 January 2020, the programme was extended by 30 minutes following a live handover from Lorraine, which saw the show start at the earlier time of 10:00 as part of changes to the ITV daytime schedule.
On 7 February 2020, Schofield came out as gay in an interview on This Morning, where he stated that "with the strength and support of my wife and my daughters, I have been coming to terms with the fact that I am gay".
In June 2022, amid the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II, Schofield and Willoughby hosted an episode of This Morning at Buckingham Palace.
In October 2025, it was announced that Multistory Media would take over production of the series beginning in January 2026, as part of a plan to merge ITV Studios Daytime into the label.

2026–present

On 5 January 2026, This Morning moved to The H Club Studio alongside its ITV Daytime counterparts. The programme relaunched with a new set, remixed theme tune, and updated titles and graphics.

Presenters

From October 1988 to July 2001, This Morning was presented by husband and wife Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. During the tenth series, Caron Keating and Ross Kelly presided, and from series 11 in 1999 Fern Britton and John Leslie were regular presenters of the Friday show. Coleen Nolan and Twiggy replaced Madeley and Finnigan in 2001, with Britton and Leslie remaining on Fridays. Twiggy was later dismissed, whilst Nolan presented until the end of 2001 with Leslie, and was subsequently replaced by Britton.
Phillip Schofield joined the programme as a Friday presenter in September 2002. The following month, Leslie's contract on This Morning was terminated after television presenter Matthew Wright named him as the man who allegedly raped Ulrika Jonsson. Jonsson had written in her autobiography that "an acquaintance" had raped her when she was 19. Schofield then took over as a main presenter.
In 2003, Alison Hammond joined the This Morning team as a regular segment presenter and announcer. Lorraine Kelly presented with Schofield on Mondays and Fridays from September 2004, after Britton requested to spend more time with her family. In 2006, Ruth Langsford, who had been a stand-in presenter since 1999, and her husband Eamonn Holmes became permanent presenters on Fridays and main presenters during school holidays.
On 26 March 2009, Britton announced that she was to leave This Morning after ten years and would be replaced by Holly Willoughby on 14 September 2009. She presented her final show on 17 July 2009. In 2014 and 2015, Amanda Holden and Christine Lampard presented alongside Schofield when Willoughby was on maternity leave. Holden returned as a guest presenter in 2017.
In August 2013, Rochelle Humes and her husband Marvin joined This Morning as regular stand-in presenters and presented together until 2015. Humes returned in 2018 to present alongside Schofield when Willoughby was in Australia filming I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. Following this, she has returned as a guest presenter numerous times.
In 2018, Josie Gibson joined the This Morning team as a regular segment presenter and announcer. In November 2021, she guest presented three episodes of the show alongside Schofield.
In December 2020, it was announced that Holmes and Langsford were being replaced on Fridays by Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond, but would remain in their school holiday presenting slot. In December 2021, Holmes announced he was leaving This Morning and would be moving to GB News, with Langsford also announcing her departure from the show, although she returned to guest present a week of episodes in August 2022 alongside Rylan Clark.
In 2021, Craig Doyle joined the This Morning team as a regular segment presenter and announcer. In May 2022, he guest presented two episodes of the show alongside Hammond. Subsequently, Gibson and Doyle became regular stand-in presenters.
On 20 May 2023, Schofield agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect after more than 20 years following reports that his relationship with co-host Holly Willoughby had come under strain. Schofield said that he understood ITV had decided that "the current situation not go on". Willoughby was later announced as head presenter, with O'Leary, Hammond, Gibson and Doyle as rotating presenters alongside Willoughby.
On 5 October 2023, Willoughby withdrew from the programme at short notice when a murder plot against her became known.
She subsequently took leave from the show for an indefinite period. Five days later, Willoughby announced on Instagram that she had quit the show.
After Willoughby's departure left the show without a main host for the first time in over 35 years, a number of presenters were tried out on This Morning, including Steve Jones, Andi Peters, Ben Shephard, Rochelle Humes, Rylan Clark, Cat Deeley, Sarah Ferguson, Emma Willis, Christine Lampard, Mollie King, Lisa Snowdon and Siân Welby.
On 16 February 2024, Shephard and Deeley were announced as the show's new permanent presenters and they started presenting Monday–Thursday from 11 March.