For the last 35 years, This Morning has attracted thousands of British daytime viewers.
Liverpool's former Granada studios was the birthplace of modern day time television as we know it, as the show was initially filmed at the historic Dock Trade Office. Some of the show's innovations became national talking points, such as the floating weather map moored in Albert Dock.
Originally fronted by husband and wife pair Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, the show has gone on to introduce the world to several much loved presenters. More recently, we've seen Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, among the names to present the programme, OK! previously reported.
READ MORE: Past moments of Merseyside's lost factories and those who worked there
READ MORE: Ever-changing Liverpool venue that has attracted celebrities for decades
Holly Willoughby recently stepped down from her role as presenter after a huge 14 years earlier this week and in a lengthy statement posted on social media on Tuesday, the mum-of-three said a "difficult goodbye." Holly took the time to thank the This Morning team and "everyone who has ever worked on the show."
Today – during the first episode since Holly left the programme – the opening titles featured photos of Holly and lines such as "family first" and "end of an era". As the This Morning line-up is set to see a change, we take a brief look back at what a number of the presenters did next.
Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan (1988 – 2001)
The presenters who started it all, husband and wife team Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan, were the hosts of the show when the programme first debuted back in October, 1988. The couple quickly became the national’s sweethearts and as a result of their popularity, the pair were even invited to front a number of other shows, including a special live episode at Disneyland California, in which they interviewed Disney legends Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
The iconic hosts eventually left This Morning in 2001 to front their own talk show on Channel 4. The Richard and Judy Show was launched in 2008, before continuing on digital channel Watch until 2009, but it was officially cancelled shortly after.
Since then, the couple have continued to recommend books as part of their now iconic book club. Richard has also returned to our TV screens as a co-presenter for Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain.
Caron Keating ( 1998 – 1999)
Best known for presenting Blue Peter, Caron Keating joined the team in 1998 to present the show on Fridays when Richard and Judy were off. The daughter of Gloria Hunniford, her TV career began in Northern Ireland before she became known on our screens in England.
Caron was only on the show for one year before ill health forced her to step down. She died at the age of 41 in 2004 after a brave battle with breast cancer.
How long have you watched This Morning? Let us know in the comments section below.
Ross Kelly (1990 – 2000)
Ross Kelly first joined the team in 1990 as a relief presenter, before leaving the show in 1993 to serve as a producer and relief presenter on morning breakfast show GMTV. He did eventually return to This Morning in 2000, once again acting as a relief presenter.
Alongside his work on GMTV and This Morning, Ross also appeared on Blankety Blank and The Heaven and Earth Show. However, since 2001, he has been absent from our screens and prefers to keep his life private.
Join the Liverpool ECHO's memories and history WhatsApp community
John Leslie (1999 – 2002)
Joining the show alongside Fern Britton in 1999, John Leslie worked with his co-star as the show’s Friday presenter and prior to fronting This Morning, he had been a popular face on Blue Peter and even presented Wheel of Fortune. Following the departure of Richard and Judy, John took up the presenting role full time with Fern, and despite an initial drop in ratings managed to prop the figures up to around one million a day. He was ultimately replaced by Phillip Schofield in 2002, but co-star Fern was kept on.
Since leaving the show he has appeared in a music video for the Christmas single Proper Crimbo by Bo Selecta!, and also presented his own radio show in Scotland between 2013 and 2014. He was accused of sexual assault in 2018 and after a thorough investigation, he was cleared of all charges.
Further allegations were also made against him in 2019, but once again, he was cleared of all charges by a Jury in October 2020. In more recent years, John returned to This Morning to discuss the impact of the allegations and how he was trying to put his life together after the claims. John has also forged a successful career in radio and had a stint as a property developer.
Fern Britton (1999 – 2009)
Fern joined the team at the same time as John Leslie in 1999 and fast became a firm favourite with fans who loved her personality. She was later joined on the sofa by Phillip Schofield veteran.
The pair were hugely popular, but things took a turn after Fern discovered that Phillip was being paid more than her – a subject that was so raw for the presenter, that she was even willing to quit over it, after 10 years at the helm, OK! reports. Since leaving, she also went on to lose five stone and controversially claimed to have done so naturally, however it was later revealed that she had undergone a gastric bypass procedure, resulting in a widespread public backlash.
Aside from the controversy, Fern also went on to appear on Strictly Come Dancing in 2012, where she was partnered with Artem Chigvintsev. She has also written a series of highly successful novels in recent years.
Lorraine Kelly (2004 – 2006)
From around 2004 onwards, Lorraine co-presented the show with Phil on Mondays and Fridays, so that Fern could spend more time at home with her family. Much like her co-star, she was a firm fan favourite thanks to her warm personality and sense of humour, however she struggled to split her time between This Morning and her role as a presenter on GMTV.
Since leaving, Lorraine has become a household name in her own right. She is now known for fronting her own talk show that shares her name.
In 2020, she received a CBE for her services to broadcasting, journalism and charity.
Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes (2006 – 2020)
Another husband and wife combination, Ruth and Eamonn took to our screens in 2006 as relief presenters on Fridays and immediately were a hit with viewers at home. Alongside her This Morning duties, Ruth also regularly appears on Loose Women, often chairing the hot topic debates for which the show was well known.
Ruth also went on to appear on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017, partnered with Anton Du Beke, but sadly became the seventh celebrity to leave the competition. Eamonn, on the other hand, has been involved in several other programmes besides This Morning, including presenting episodes of Good Morning Britain since April 2017.
The pair were replaced by Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary and briefly returned when Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby took their annual breaks. Ruth continues to regularly appear on panel show Loose Women while Eamonn began a new hosting role at GB News last year.
Phillip Schofield (2002 – present)
Phillip Schofield started his TV career on CBBC back in 1985 and took on a number of other presenting roles both before and in addition to his time on This Morning,, including the National Lottery and quiz show Test the Nation alongside Anne Robinson. He's been on our screens as the presenter for Dancing on Ice, The Cube and Five Gold Rings as well as continuing to host the ITV daytime show alongside Holly Willoughby.
Phillip also made the headlines in 2020 when he publicly came out as gay on This Morning, with his co-presenter Holly by his side for moral support. But in May this year Phillip announced his immediate departure from the show.
The 61-year-old stepped down from the channel after he admitted an affair with a younger male colleague. In a statement he said: "I have always been proud to cover fascinating stories on This Morning. But recently, This Morning itself has become the story.
“Throughout my career in TV – including the very difficult last few days – I have always done my best to be honourable and kind. I understand that ITV has decided the current situation can’t go on, and I want to do what I can to protect the show that I love.
“So I have agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect, in the hope that the show can move forward to a bright future."
Holly Willoughby (2009 – present)
Another presenter that started life on kids' TV, Holly Willoughby was a popular addition to the presenting team when she stepped in to fill Fern Britton’s shoes following her departure in 2009. Well known for her bubbly personality and trademark style, Holly has often be lauded as both a style icon and household name, even serving as a brand ambassador for Marks and Spencer and beauty brand Garnier.
Outside of her presenting duties on This Morning, Holly has also fronted shows such as Celebrity Juice and Dancing on Ice. The 42-year-old was forced to pull out of a show last week as she was targeted by an alleged kidnap plot.
Holly recently stepped down from her role as presenter after a huge 14 years earlier this week and in a lengthy statement posted on social media on Tuesday the mum-of-three said a "difficult goodbye" Holly took the time to thank the This Morning team and "everyone who has ever worked on the show". and today – during the first episode since Holly left the programme – the opening titles featured photos of Holly and lines such as "family first" and "end of an era".
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here