Josie Gibson is alleged to have been ‘gutted and saddened’ when she was not picked for a full-time job on This Morning.
Following their announcement as the new presenters, Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley made their formal debut as a new team on the ITV series on Monday, March 11.
Phillip Schofield left This Morning last year, and Holly Willoughby joined a few months later.
Following their departures, there has been significant conjecture about who may replace them as the series’ new faces, with names such as Alison Hammond, Dermot O’Leary, and Rylan Clark mooted.
Finally, this month, it was announced that Ben, 49, would be departing Good Morning Britain and joining This Morning, along with Cat, 47.
It has now been alleged that Josie, 39, was disappointed that she was not picked, since she had been ‘touted as the new Holly’.
A source alleged that Alison, 49, was offered the full-time This Morning job, but ‘she was actually the one who didn’t want it’.
‘Alison loves her time on the show but she doesn’t want the responsibility of being the main anchor,’ they told OK! magazine.
They pointed out that the TV presenter had’multiple things going on’ with The Great British Bake Off and For The Love of Dogs, and that she wasn’t ‘worried about being overshadowed’ since she was pleased to continue on the Friday programme with Dermot, 50.
The insider stated, ‘The person who is genuinely heartbroken that she wasn’t offered the part is Josie Gibson; her nose is out of joint.
‘She was touted as the new Holly but wasn’t the case. She’s hurt over the decision.’
When Ben and Cat were announced as the new hosts of This Morning, several of their ITV colleagues congratulated them on their new roles.
‘So excited about this ,’ Alison commented on Instagram, while Dermot wrote: ‘Huzzah! Welcome to the fam. X.’
Fashion expert Gok Wan added: ‘Welcome aboard! shall I fire up the decks? .’
Craig Doyle commented: ‘Congratulations guys….did someone say drinks!?!?! ,’ while Josie also shared: ‘I feel a work welcome party coming on!!!!! .’
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV.
Source My Celebrity Life.