Tess & Vernon: TO REPLACE HOLLY & PHIL?

ITV likes to shake things up and this duo is surely a great addition...

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With those nagging rumours about Holly Willoughby considering her departure from This Morning, it would make sense for ITV to have a backup plan. With that in mind, could Tess Daly and Vernon Kay be the lucky duo to step into her and Phillip Schofield’s well-worn shoes if indeed both hosts decide to exit?

Holly has spoken openly about wanting to spend more time with her family, hinting that This Morning feels like too much of a commitment now she’s a mum of three. In 2018 she announced she was pulling out of her brand, Truly, saying, ‘To launch a brand needs total dedication and at the moment, this is not something I feel I can do without it starting to affect family time at home.’

Last year she quit comedy show Celebrity Juice after 12 years, and in January she enraged viewers when she added an extra three days to her three-week festive break to look after her children, which saw Rochelle Humes step in to cover her.

Viewers vented on Twitter, ‘Are three weeks off not enough?’, while another harshly added, ‘Rochelle had a baby about a month ago and still steps in when lazy (or self-isolating from her holiday) Holly Willoughby can’t be bothered to come in!!’

The 40-year-old joined the show back in 2009, and she and Phil have been firm friends ever since, even holidaying together with their families. The duo, until recently, also shared the same management company, YMU, which Holly dramatically quit earlier this year. The management switch (Holly has since set up her own management company, Roxy) is perhaps an indication she wants to take control of her career and potentially move in a different direction.