An ITV presenter who is presently juggling presenting responsibilities on two of the broadcaster’s main shows is said to be ‘torn’ between where he wants to stay and continue to co-host with.
Following a week of appearances on This Morning, Good Morning Britain regular Ben Shephard is claimed to be ‘in two minds’ about which position he could take on permanently.
The 48-year-old TV host regularly appears on GMB with Susanna Reid, 52, a post he has had since 2014.
Ben was a stand-in presenter on This Morning from 2005 to 2011, covering for regular presenter Phillip Schofield, and since 2015 has remained in that capacity, most notably alongside Holly Willoughby, 42, following the departure of her long-time co-host Schofield.
With ITV yet to confirm who is going to replace Schofield after he resigned for admitting to lying about an ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a much younger colleague, some fans have thrown their support behind Ben.
According to a source, he may be feeling torn between the two shows.
‘Ben loves doing both shows, but Susanna Reid really wants him to stay on Good Morning Britain,’ they said.
‘Although they are on the same channel, they’re sort of rivals and both need ratings, and Ben is great at bringing in viewers.’
Despite Schofield’s departure, This Morning has continued, with presenters such as Josie Gibson, Alison Hammond, Andi Peters, and Ben filling in.
The source continued: ‘This Morning has had mixed ratings since Phil left, and not everyone sees Holly in the way they once did, so she needs a good partner next to her who’ll bring in ratings.
‘Ben is great at that. The public like him, he’s very honest and he’s a genuinely nice guy. He’s in two minds about what he would do if he was offered a permanent position on This Morning, he’d have to make a difficult choice,’ they added when speaking to OK!
However, they believe Susanna will want to keep her co-host, who she was teamed with after Piers Morgan departed GMB two years ago.
‘Susanna won’t want Ben to leave because he’s so popular. Both she and Holly lost their TV husbands – Piers and Phil – so they’ll both be wanting Ben now. The other partnerships on This Morning with Holly haven’t worked as well as her and Phil, so Ben might be the answer.’
While the This Morning drama just aired a few months ago, it has been rumoured that it is already being adapted for the small screen.
A source informed The Sun earlier this month that a production firm was trying to make a series called ‘The Runner’ on Schofield’s departure from ITV.
‘The storyline will reflect what went on. People have seen it from the outside, but the drama will give a perspective on what may have occurred behind-closed-doors,’ they said.
They added it could ‘make for uncomfortable viewing’ for Schofield and ITV.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1, while this This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on the same channel.