Both Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield are leaving This Morning in 2023, leaving a pair of free jobs, but Jason Manford isn’t interested in replacing them.
The comedian has a wealth of live television experience, having hosted The One Show and Children in Need.
However, the 42-year-old will not be sitting on the famed blue sofa.
‘I don’t know if I’d be up for getting up early every day to be perfectly honest,’ he said.
‘I’m quite a night owl. It doesn’t quite fit in with stand-up, which involves working in the evenings. Maybe I would have done it 20 years ago when I was a bit younger and could burn the candle at both ends. I definitely need a nice sleep, and not early starts.’
As well as what the ITV daytime show threatens to do to his sleeping schedule, it would also mean quite a long commute: ‘It’s filmed in London and I live in Manchester so I’m not sure it would be great for me.’
Jason, on the other hand, is confident that the series will continue to prosper.
‘It’s an institution of a show, and they’ve got some great people on it already so it’ll continue. The show is bigger than any one person,’ he mused.
Schofield, 61, abruptly left the ITV show in May, admitting to a ‘unwise but not illegal’ romance with a younger staffer. Holly left the programme earlier this month.
After 14 years fronting This Morning, the 42-year-old announced her departure in a heartfelt statement, thanking viewers for being ‘loyal, so supportive, and the very best company every day.’
She continued: ‘Richard and Judy said: “We only look after this show, it will always belong to the viewers”. It’s been an honour to just be part of its story and I know this story has many chapters left to go. Sadly, however, I now feel I have to make this decision for me and my family.’
Since then, several famous names have been linked to the programme, including frontrunners Kate Garraway and Davina McCall, who may potentially join regulars Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary.
While speculation over the future of This Morning’s hosts persists, Jason is focused on The National Lottery’s Big Bash and his A Manford All Seasons tour in 2024/25.
If you have tickets to one of his shows, there is one thing you will not hear: rude jokes. Throughout his two-decade career, he has intentionally avoided anything contentious.
‘I think what comics like Peter Kay, Michael McIntyre and myself do is actually harder than doing sort of edgy comedy,’ he stated.
‘It is easy to find out what’s the most offensive subject you can talk about, write some jokes and double down when anyone says they’re upset, but for me, I wouldn’t do that.
‘I would be upset myself if anyone left one of my shows upset about something that I had said about them or people they love. I always try and err on the side of caution, and I think that’s what makes it a more interesting challenge.’
However, recognising that everyone’s humour tastes differ, he dives into a culinary metaphor that may leave you hungry for lunch.
‘It’s horses for courses at the same time. Humour is like tasting food.
‘Some people like a nice plain tomato pasta and some people like a vindaloo. I’d like to think of myself as a nice butter chicken. You can eat it, and teenage kids can eat it too,’ he concluded.
Jason appreciates not having cameras, directors, viewing numbers, or Ofcom, which allows him to have more fun and not overthink things.
‘What’s great about stand-up comedy is people have chosen to come and see you live. They want to see you. On telly, you sort of force yourself into people’s living rooms and hope that they like you,’ he summarised.
Although he won’t be on This Morning, The National Lottery’s Big Bash will air on New Year’s Eve. We can also get complimentary seats to the show, which will be taped at the beginning of December and will feature Take That, Paloma Faith, and Loreen.
‘It’s great to be back after last year. It’s me and Alesha Dixon who is a real pro and good laugh, and it’s a brilliant event. I feel most at home is in front of a big crowd.
‘It’s great fun, but also has lots of poignant moments. I met a little girl from Ukraine last year, who sang Let It Go from Frozen in a bomb shelter during the conflict and the video went viral. She sang it again on stage at the event and was surprised by the West End cast.
‘It was wonderful and really heartwarming. It moved me.’
Jason Manford is presenting The National Lottery’s Big Bash on 6th December. Free tickets for the show-stopping music and entertainment event at Wembley Arena will be available from 1pm today at bigbash2023.com.
