Cat Deeley to co-host ITV’s This Morning next week

Cat Deeley is set to host This Morning next week as ITV looks to replace former presenter Holly Willoughby.

Willoughby, 42, announced in October that she would be stepping down from the programme after 14 years in the role.

On Monday and Tuesday next week, Deeley, 47, will step in to host alongside Rylan Clark before she co-presents with Craig Doyle on Wednesday.

Doyle and Alison Hammond will host on Thursday and Hammond and Dermot O’Leary will present their Friday programme together as usual.

Since Willoughby’s departure, presenters including Doyle, Clark, Hammond and Rochelle Humes have been hosting the ITV show.

Willoughby had announced her departure in a post to Instagram where she wrote: “I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning.”

“To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so so much.

“This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we’ve done together.”

Willoughby’s former co-host Phillip Schofield left the show in May after he admitted to a relationship with a younger male former colleague.

Following Schofield’s departure from This Morning, chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall said in a letter, sent to culture secretary Lucy Frazer, that ITV had asked a barrister to lead a review of the facts.

Bosses have said both Schofield and his former lover “repeatedly denied” allegations of a relationship until the star quit ITV and formally apologised.

Following Schofield’s departure, the daytime programme has faced scrutiny, including claims the show fostered a “toxic” bullying culture.

Deeley used to be a children’s TV presenter for SM:TV Live and has hosted US entertainment show So You Think You Can Dance.

She is married to Irish comedian and TV presenter Patrick Kielty who is the new host of Irish chat show The Late Late Show, having taken over from Ryan Tubridy.