Phillip Schofield spotted beaming with pals as This Morning replacement exposed

Phillip Schofield appeared to be in good spirits whilst out with some pals on the weekend amid the news that Ben Shephard is set to be his replacement on This Morning.

The presenter, 61, resigned from the ITV show last year after admitting to having an “unwise but not illegal” relationship with a younger colleague. Phillip said in his statement in May that the “consensual on-off relationship” was “now over”.

Holly Willoughby, 42, later announced her departure from the show, sharing in October that she’d made the decision for herself and her family. Phillip and Holly’s replacements as hosts were finally unveiled by the Mirror just days ago.

Amid the news, Phillip was spotted out with some pals in London recently. He’s understood to have been on a stroll on Sunday, with him seen walking alongside a street, accompanied by two friends, in newly-released photos.

The former presenter was seen wearing a white t-shirt, a denim shirt and a pair of jeans as he took a stroll through Borough Market in the capital city. He’d opted to wear a blue blazer as part of his outfit and sported some trainers.

Phillip – who was replaced by Stephen Mulhern as Holly’s co-host for Dancing on Ice, following his departure from ITV – appeared to be in high spirits during the outing. He was seen with a beaming smile in some of the photos.

It comes amid the news that Phillip is set to be replaced by Good Morning Britain presenter Ben, 49, on This Morning. He’s expected to co-host alongside Cat Deeley, 47, who is believed to have been signed up as Holly’s replacement.

The Mirror revealed last week that the pair are set to be officially announced as the new hosts soon. Ben and Cat are expected to have launch photos done later this month along other promotions ahead of an announcement.

An insider told us: “The cat’s out of the bag – they are the new dream team. ITV is planning to announce Cat and Ben as their new star pairing in March.” The source said that Ben is “well known and loved” by the ITV daytime audience.

They commented that Cat’s “also a very recognisable face, thanks to her long stint of working on kids’ TV, although she’s been over in the US for a long time”. She has hosted shows like So You Think You Can Dance whilst stateside.

“Back in the 90s and early 2000s, when she worked with Ant and Dec on SMTV Live, she was very warm and funny so it’s hoped they can recreate some of that magic together. People were very impressed with her guest presenting stint last year alongside Rylan and thankfully the timing has all come together. Everyone is delighted,” the source added.

Ben and Cat are expected to follow in the footsteps of Holly and Phil, who hosted the show from Monday to Thursday during term-time. It’s believed that Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond are set to continue as the hosts of This Morning on Fridays as well as during the school holidays.

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