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And the new This Morning presenter is…

July 15th, 2009

At 2.30pm today the deal was done and Holly became my new This Morning partner. Perfectly timed, as I was having my photo taken for the opening titles for the new series, which starts in September. Holly immediately jumped in to a car and came to the This Morning studios where we all had a couple of bottles of bubbly waiting for her arrival.

Everyone adores Fern and will miss her enormously but Holly Willoughby was at the top of everybody’s list to pick up where Fern leaves off. She filled in for Fern a few months ago and from that moment on everybody knew she was the obvious number one choice. This Morning is a very close-knit family not only in the studio but the audience as well and for that reason, Holly is perfect.

Read Holly’s thoughts on the big news HERE.

Click HERE to read the official ITV statement.

© Phillip Schofield 2009

The copyright in this blog is owned by Phillip Schofield. If you are using a quote for publication purposes, copyright law requires you to acknowledge officialphillipschofield.com as the original source.

106 comments

Marlene says:

I enjoyed This morning today Kate should be with Phillip she is very professional. She did a good job today and helped Peter Andre. He did ok! with a bit of work he could good. I do like him but sometime he says the wrong things.


SJ says:

Hooray for The Willob!

Welcome to the show, Holly.


Jane Davies says:

Love This Morning and loved Phil and Fern together. Am sooo sgutted with Fern’s replacement though. PLEASE PLEASE get Sarah Greene back presenting with Phil - that was the best partnership EVER!


Ruthy says:

OMG I cried too esp when the camera went to Denise then when you got choked it opened the floodgates! I will really miss Fern she was fantastic and you both nmade me laugh out loud with you when you got the giggles, something I do a lot and my partner loves it! Holly will be great.


jocylyn says:

Great show on Friday!I cried with you philip. Will really miss Fern you had something very special. Good luck to Holly they are difficult shoes to fill!Have a great holiday see you in September!xx


MrsC says:

Wow! Such a brilliant show, such a shame fern is leaving, will be missed so much! I have recorded her last show, was so good, i laughed and cried, if i ever need cheering up i’ll watch it again. Looking forward to Holly and Phil in sept, will be interesting XXX


alicia says:

Great show just watched it today and i was crying my eyes out. going to miss fern and good luck to holly im a big fan of hers xxx


shirley says:

Phew, only just stopped the tears for you and fern Phil!!! What a fantastic show. Holly does have some big shoe to fill, but with you by her side, am sure she will thrive!!! Looking forward to the new look of the show. But will always have the memories of you and Fern. Well done!!! xxx


Lynn says:

What a fab show - I had tears in my eyes when you started to break up at the end. You and Fern had a great partnership - hope you will still be doing other stuff (Mr & Mrs, etc). Good luck for next season.


ingyjon says:

What a happy/sad/happy/sad/happy day yesterday. I have loved watching you and Fern over the years. When I have beed down, you helped picked me up. I will miss Fern and the chemistry that you both shared but also look to the future success with you and Holly. Well done to all yesterday - what an emotional day.


David85 says:

Terrific show yesterday Phil. Fern will be greatly missed. Great that you new co host is Holly. Anyway, one question arises, now that Fern has gone,and that is, is Phil Vickory (Ferns Hubbie) still going to be doing his cooking, with you,in the new series from Sept?
His recipes are brilliant.


Witchy says:

Well i wasn’t able to watch Fern’s final show and i couldn’t record it…now apart from clips on you tube and such i cannot find anywhere where i can see the whole show again! what’s going on in this 24 hour society not even on ITV.com i could however watch 17 episodes of the Jeremy Kyle show if i wished the world has gone mad!


michelle says:

What a lovely leaving show for Fern. The two of you were one of a kind together, and can’t imagion the show ever being quite the same without Fern. But long may Phil continue. x


cupcakemacy says:

Loved the show today laughed and cried.Fern will be missed you made a great team.Look foward to watching you again soon. xx


jilly powell says:

what a show today phil:-)so sad to see fern go:-( look forward to seeing you back in sept with the lovely holly:-) have a gr8 summer x x x


Doreen says:

What a fantastic end to Fern’s time on presenting This Morning. I laughed and cried throughout the programme. Quite honestly, I don’t think This Morning will ever be the same again, so was not fussed about who will co present with you Philip, when the show returns in Spetember.
Fern was the best all round presenter ever, she was compassionate, funny and able to deal with any events both tragic and joyous that were featured on the show, with a tremendous depth of understanding. I think Denise reflected all our feelings at Fern’s leaving. Good luck Fern, enjoy your wonderful husband and family and continuing success in all you do in the future.I hope there will be time for another book.
Good luck to you Philip, I hope for your sake, This Morning continues to be a success. I will watch with interest when This Morning returns in Septemeber.


Madeleine MacFarlane says:

I watched the show this Morning with great sadness,with the departure of Fern. She will be increadibly missed by all. I have watched the show over 10 years and have seen presenters come and go, but this morning I was in tears for the first time. Fern cannot be replaced, When you come back Phil to present the show in September it will be a different show, it will be your show now. I wish Fern and Husband Phil the Very best for the Future. By the way, His Lime Cheesecake is incredible!And for you Philip, I also wish you and Holly the very best with the show in September.
FERN: A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW———————–
—————–Madeleine—————————————-Dublin, Ireland—————–


mich says:

Sorry to see Fern leave. She will be missed. I am sure Holly is a lovely person but sadly not a presenter I rate very highly and one I avoid. I hope however that the new series goes well for you.


Emerald says:

Loved todays show..

Holly has some pretty special shoes to fill, but im sure she will wear them just as grandly as Fern has..

All the very best Phil, my mornings would be so dull without you all.

x


Dee O'Rourke says:

Great show today - I knew Captain Jack would win the cocktail challenge. I was rather hoping Sarah Greene was going to be new presenter - but Holly will be great too. Maybe the producers can give Sarah the presenting job when Holly is away.


helen Harrison says:

What a brill show this morning. I, probably like most of the viewers, cracked at the end. I shall miss that chemistry so very much but will try to keep an open mind for September.
Have a wonderful summer


cath says:

Great show today Phil, what a fab send off for Fern, will miss your unique presenting style!! I think you held it together well today and when you finally cracked at the end we all went with you. Good luck with Holly. Now put your feet up and enjoy the summer x


wendy says:

What a show, I laughed and cried, and you nearly stayed strong till the end! Well done
I have enjoyed many years of This Morning with you both and I will miss Fern. Have great summer.

ps: Ferns book was great


lisa says:

gr8 show tday 4 fern she wll be sadley missed xxx


jean says:

It was a fantastic show today. The affection you have for fern as not just a colleague but a mate was obvious. I know you will miss her. Looking forward to seeing Holly in Sept…and we thought Fern was bad for the giggles!!!


Jen says:

The last show with Fern was brillant.I have watched the two of you together from the start.You two have a great chemistry.I look forward to seeing how you and Holly work


Bugwatcha says:

Just watched ferns final show. It was brilliant,I laughed lots and shed a few tears.But was a great send off. And you cracked right at the end.Well done for holding it together till last few minutes.


aligogs says:

im 55yr old watched rich and judy thought it would b no gud wen they left!!sooooooooo wrong!!better than ever cud be> soz 2 c fern leave she is lovely but i do think she changed after slimming thing!!didnt know much abt phil but my daughter said he would b gud she was right!! so im open minded abt holly (hope it will still be a laff) gud luck xx


Keith says:

I`ve read negative comments on other sites.. well.. THEY couldnt have seen Holly as HERSELF on the old kids tv shows.. Ministry of Mayhem? She was hillarious then.. and saucy.. so.. as long as shes allowed to BE herself.. could be great.


Joyce says:

Fab// Good luck to you/


lorpups says:

I for one am glad its not Melanie Sykes,Holly is a good choice but I really like Ruth Langsford


Mark Occomore says:

Fantastic choice. Good luck for September Holly.


southernjo says:

Not sure Holly has the gravitas to keep me watching. Her style is not for me.


beccam21 says:

thank god it wasn’t corney Melanie Sykes.


Liz says:

Thats great news, I’m sure Holly will have great fun with you on the show. Good Luck to you both. We will all miss Fern, but I’m sure that she will enjoy her free time with her family and new projects. Good luck Fern


Jan says:

Hi Phil,
I am so sad at Fern going as she has always made me feel so good and given me so many laughs along with yourself. I think there should have been a public vote on who we would like as presenter with you, although I serpose Holly will be OK I would have prefered Coleen Nolan, she too can make you feel good and laugh, Holly mmmmmmmmmm I am not so sure. Whoever does the job it certainly wont be as good as Fern.


kelly nunnick says:

hi phil hows it goin…ill miss fern alot there will b a few tears friday wish she would stay..glad its holly who stepin in..im on twitter + i sent u a message yesterday but i dont now if u got it my twitter name kellymarie1981 im new 2 it + i dont now how 2 work it lol…hope every1 is ok xxxx


Dave Stewart says:

PHILLIP, SAW YOU AS JOSEPH YEARS AGO YOU’RE AN AMAZING SINGER KEEP UP THE WEST END SHOWS


julie stuart says:

brilliant news phill,am so glad holly got the job,u 2 are grt8 together.i will miss fern terribly.but holly was my no 1 choice.hope u all have a grt8 summer cant wait till september.love julie stuart.x


Sarah says:

It wont be the same without Fern, her and Phil together are such a team and have a chemistry like no others. Friday will be a very sad day!!

I was hoping you might go for Christine Bleakley off the one show but Holly is a good choice. Good luck to her.


Fatima says:

Great news Phill! Like watching you and Holy on DOI and im sure you will be great together on This Morning! Fern will be missed; but Holly will be good to watch! Congratulations.


janet says:

loooooooooooooooooooooveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee fern u two were the best ,,,, still ,love my phil and fern best bits dvd!!! u ever wana borow it e mail me its grreeaat! love u loads fern xxxx and all the best xxx


janet says:

congrats to holly shes lovely!!! but love fern and phill together shall miss it!!!! love to fern shes georgeous and hope u n hav a great rest. ..still luv my phil and fern funny bits dvd its great !!!!! if u ant seen it e mail me!!xxxxxx


Liz says:

Lovely picture,i will be sad to see Fern go on friday.I watched Fern on TM from her first day but she was the best with yourself Phillip.
Holly is a great replacement.
If u see this before 17th July,could u please say Happy Birthday to FERN on TM and Happy Birthday to me and my mum who reaches the big 70, on the 27th and 28th of July, i have never asked this before it would be a great surprise as my mum doesn’t think u read these posts.I would love to see my mums face if u said her name Freda on tv.Mum went with me to see u in Joseph in Dublin and Dolittle in London but the Dolittle gig was cancelled for some reason.
Much appreciated Liz from schofield fans.


Janet Tunstill says:

Fabulous choice! So pleased you picked Holly! Will miss Fern though, as I’m sure you will.
Good luck Holly.

Love Janet x


Tina says:

congrats Holly you will be great and Fern You will be missed but god luck relaxing


claire woods says:

Seems like getting rid of the old (sorry Fern) for the new totty!


Sianne says:

Was it a pre-requisite that the new presenter had to have a botanical name too? ;-)

Congratulations and good luck to Holly.

Good luck and fond farewells to Fern too; I shall miss her very much on This Morning, and will be on the look out for her on telly in future.


HappyGirl says:

Holly will be brilliant - FAB choice!

Will miss Fern and wish her all the luck in the world.

A x


Sara says:

Well done Holly! Will miss Fern but know Holly will be great. You two work well together on Dancing on Ice, will be great to see you on This Morning! Great News. x


Julie Harley says:

Congratulations Holly. I enjoy This Morning With Phil and Fern but it will be nice to have a new face. I must say that i love Eamon and Ruth too they are sooooooooo funny. Good luck and best wishes to Fern in whatever she does next.


Charleyfarley says:

I must admit I was hoping for a different reunion for Phill as I hoped Sarah Greene from their Going Live days might have been in with a chance .. but she is too much forgotten now i’m afraid .
Holly is lovely..xx but a bit too young for me to watch items about real life drama or trauma she’ll have little comprehension of what people may have gone thru unlike Fern or Sarah might have been able to relate to .
I hope i’m proven wrong
xxx


Rachel says:

Fern is ‘This Morning’ and will not be replaced… A new replacement presenter can present the role but will never replace Fern… who has been a joy to watch, she’s natural funny and worldly wise & does not have to ‘act’.. Personally I think Holly is too young and should keep to presenting as 2nd fiddle on DOI & X factor things…. but perhaps ITV are looking for a ‘new Mum’ to gain ‘new mum’ viewers as that is probably the key market viewers for daytime TV!

Good luck Fern!!!! we’ll see you soon on the other side!


Sammi says:

Life changes all the time and I am sure once Holly is in the hot seat people will adjust, Looking forward to seeing Fern doing some new stuff though quite an exciting time.


willemien says:

Best wishes to both of you, love the program. xx


denise bingham says:

it wont b the same without fern, not sure about holly bet u dont have as much as a laugh as u do with fern! Will be watching on fri with my hanky xx


al says:

Well done Holly Brill News!!! Fern u will be missed :( xxx


Sert says:

Now for a New Male presenter!


tracy says:

yyyyyiiiippeeeee i so wanted it to be holly!
gd luk fern all the best 4 the future but im sure holly will be a fab partner 4 phil.
love u phil xx


trixyone says:

well done holly hope you enjoy. Sure you will phil is such a nice guy im sure he will make you feel at ease.good luck


Linda Harris says:

Excellent choice….. xxx


HypnoElvis says:

We all love Fern, But we also love Holly, Will Phil V be staying or is he going as well???????


Jen says:

Thank God it’s not Davina!


Lynne says:

Congratulations Holly and I shall miss Fern. But I am sure Holly will do a fantastic job.


karmafran says:

You make a great team..
Holly as a lot to live up to but I think she can keep you in check lol


Lisa - Kincardine says:

I am so sad that Fern is leaving - she is such a superb presenter, and the Phil and Fern have such a great on-screen rapport. I’m not sure that Holly has the gravitas necessary to tackle the tough and serious issues when they are covered on This Morning, and I have often found her presenting style rather ‘wooden’. However, with Phil at her side, I’m sure the two of them will develop their own particular brand of magic.


linzy says:

congrats holly they have made a good choice, fern ,u had me in stitches everytime u and phill got the giggles good luck to you


Paul says:

Wont have a problem getting up in the mornings now, well done ITV, great choice !!


Margaret Robinson says:

As another born in 1957, I will miss Fern. She really liked people and never patronized other presenters and guests as her predecessor often did! I read her biography with interest and it is good for young people to realize that successful people have struggled too.
Holly you are lovely; all the best to you both.
Philip, keep tweeting.


carole says:

Fern will be a ‘hard act to follow’. It was a great partnership and came over as a lot of fun … made me lol many a time!… best of luck to Fern.
Change happens……….


Scott says:

I am not too sure I would want to fill Fern’s shoes, but I am delighted that Holly will be her replacement. Good luck to both Fern and to Holly. xx


Clare says:

It’s a sad goodbye to fantastic Fern i’m so gonna miss her but think Holly will be great, lucky girl working with gorgeous Phil!


Adele says:

Yay, I like Holly! No sure if I have ever seen this show but I love both Holly and Phil! Will be a good one I reckon!:-)


Sophia says:

oh my god that’s great! Holly and you on dancing on ice are brilliant, you’ll be just as brilliant on this morning!
good choice guys :))


Georgie says:

Holly will be great, by far the best choice. Well done you guys. Looking forward to it.


Debi says:

Fantastic !!!! Great news, soo glad it’s Holly.Fern will be greatly missed. Wish them both luck for the future in their new roles


Annette says:

Wouldn’t be who I would have chosen, but hey never mind!!! will miss Fern very much, noone will fill her shoes!!!


cheryl says:

Couldn’t think of anybody better to take Ferns place.I will miss you & Fern as a partnership but Holly is beautiful, very funny & perfect for the job.Well done Mr Schofield you landed on your feet there early mornings won’t feel so bad now will they?


vee says:

congratulations holly!! gr8 team 2geter:D
xx


Chris says:

Yeah, another yummy mummy to replace the lovely Fern! I’ll be watching!


peter johnson says:

Fern will be missed - don’t think Holly is the right choice


Susan P says:

I thought it might be Holly, and am glad it is :0) I’m sure she’ll do a great job.


rachel says:

oh im so pleased holly is gonna be taking over from fern.im 19 and always record this morning to watch when i come home and i think having some1 closer to my age yet still mature and motherly is a fantastic choice…well done holly and Phil oooh it has a certain ring to it lol.i cannot wait until september.good luck fern.
xxx


denise clarke says:

well done holly , i will be watching looking forward to new series in sept congratultions once again xxxxxxx


vicky says:

Go for it holly you are welcomed with opened arms to the this morning family x

Fern we will always love you x


Suz aka MissKatiana2 says:

Aww, Holly is a great choice. Fern will be missed most definitely, but Holly will be great.
Congrats xxxx


Simon longbone says:

Love holly she will be brilliant.


Tracey says:

Excellent choice :0D xx


Brina says:

Congrats to Holly! Whoever got the job was always going to have very big shoes to fill but if you and the team know Holly can do it then that’s good enough for me. Friday will be the end of a wonderful era but here’s to a new and successful one starting in September.


Georgina says:

Yes, fabulous news, I’ll miss Fern, but Holly is the perfect choice


Sam Bell says:

Well done Holly can’t wait to see you on This Morning.


Marian says:

congratulations to Holly, Fern will be missed greatly, but i am sure Holly will make her own personality shine through to make the job hers soon enough!


Maggie says:

Yay!! So glad, this will brighten up my mornings when I skive uni xx


debbie lindon says:

i am sorry to see fern go but wish her well and hope she enjoys whatever she does in the future. Holly will be a brilliant replacement and i think she will fit in so well with the team on the show. Wish Fern and Holly the best of luck from me.


Nat says:

yay!!! Love Fern and Love holly!!!!


Andie says:

Yay! Great news. Congratulations Holly.


leah says:

whaoooo go holly
i think she will be perfect for the job she was fantastic at the westlife show
well done holly !!
fern u will be missed congrats on all your hard work ! x


Connie Blacklock says:

Like you said Fern will be missed but Holly is a very good choice!! xxx


alison says:

Ooh love Holly! Good luck! I was made redundant today so I may be back to being an avid viewer again!! Hugs to Fern too xx


jackie bearman says:

congrats hope this is a great new start but we will all miss fern. i am glad its holly great news.


Ann Boyd says:

Yay thats cool. Can’t wait.


aaron says:

hah we all new it was holly

twitter.com/itsaaronpresley


Zoe Codd says:

So thrilled she got the job !


JayGee101 says:

I knew it would be Holly! I said that from the very start..she’ll be perfect, although we’ll all miss Fern!!

I still can’t see why u never chose Kerry Katona tho! (Hehe)

J. x


Jen says:

So pleased. I’m sure she’ll be amazing! X


Tayla says:

That is fabulous news! Love you & Holly on Dancing On Ice and know you will be fab together on This Morning! Great choice from the powers that be! xx

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