Monday morning saw the arrival of a ‘new era’ of This Morning as Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard finally made their debut as the permanent new hosts.

ITV have been hoping the duo will provide stability for viewers after months of uncertainty and a revolving door of presenters in the wake of Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield scandalous departures.

Yet not everyone was impressed by the scenes on Monday, with underwhelmed viewers complaining the new hosts weren’t enough to save the ‘dated’ show.

While many reacted favourably to Cat and Ben themselves, they were unimpressed that the show had remained largely unchanged.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, one disappointed viewer summed up: ‘Big new era for #ThisMorning starts today… AAAAAND…they’ve not changed anything on the set, the items are all the same and it feels like Ben & Cat are just the latest on the conveyer belt of presenters rather than it feeling like a fresh start, which it arguably should.’

Monday morning saw the arrival of a 'new era' of This Morning as Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard finally made their debut as the permanent new hosts
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Monday morning saw the arrival of a ‘new era’ of This Morning as Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard finally made their debut as the permanent new hosts

ITV have been hoping the duo will provide stability for viewers after months of uncertainty and a revolving door of presenters in the wake of Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield exits
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ITV have been hoping the duo will provide stability for viewers after months of uncertainty and a revolving door of presenters in the wake of Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield exits

Others agreed: ‘#ThisMorning ..same old set, theme tune, graphics and segments. Even same opening titles – couldn’t even be bothered to add Ben and Cat in like the old previous hosts. This was ITVs chance to rejuvenate the program and move on from the past – and they missed it.’;

‘9.58am: Pop on ITV1 to watch new #ThisMorning hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley’s start to the show. 10.03am: Now I’ve watched it I’ve turned it off and back on with watching Young Royals on Netflix. Love Cat & Ben, but I think This Morning just feels dated to me tbh!’;

‘#ThisMorning – Ben & Cat will be great but the sadness that there’s no set is strong – always my fave bits of a relaunch, new studio sets.’

Discussing the new hosts themselves, others added: ‘Might’ve had the wrong first impression about Ben and Cat. Give me another 2 hours but they seem to be doing pretty well #ThisMorning’;

‘I really like Cat and Ben and I’m sure they’ll be great as the new permanent presenters. Just relieved to finally have an end to all the chopping and changing, fingers crossed there’s some stability at last. Now just get them on the opening titles! #ThisMorning’;

‘Nice to see Ben Shepherd and Cat Deely presenting #ThisMorning’; ‘I love Ben & i love Cat …things are looking up.#ThisMorning’; ‘Jury’s out about Cat, but think Ben adds a level of professionalism that this show has long lacked #thismorning’.

The pair were unveiled as the new additions to the show last month following weeks of speculation, and Holly’s departure from the show back in October.

Speaking during the show’s opening moments on Monday, Cat said: ‘We are so excited to be here this show has been a part of our lives for so long.’

Ben, who left Good Morning Britain last month after 10 years, added: ‘Everyone has been so kind. thank you to everyone who has sent us messages of support.’

Not everyone was impressed by the scenes on Monday, with underwhelmed viewers complaining the new hosts weren't enough to save the 'dated' show
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View gallery

Not everyone was impressed by the scenes on Monday, with underwhelmed viewers complaining the new hosts weren’t enough to save the ‘dated’ show


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While many reacted favourably to Cat and Ben themselves, they were unimpressed that the show had remained largely unchanged
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View gallery

While many reacted favourably to Cat and Ben themselves, they were unimpressed that the show had remained largely unchanged

Cat and Ben gushed they were 'so excited' as they finally made their debut as new hosts but viewers weren't convinced they were enough to save the 'dated' show
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Cat and Ben gushed they were ‘so excited’ as they finally made their debut as new hosts but viewers weren’t convinced they were enough to save the ‘dated’ show

Cat and Ben also received messages of support from some of their celebrity pals, with Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly sharing a sweet tribute to their former SMTV co-host.

Noting their wild partying during their children’s TV heyday, Ant said: ‘That girl can party, don’t think she can’t,’ while Declan added: ‘Keep a lock on the drinks cabinet.’

Ben also received a sweet message from his longtime pal Chris Kamara, who said: ‘He was one of the best things to happen to me and vice versa I’m sure you’re going to smash it.’

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Ahead of their first show, Ben’s former GMB colleague Susanna Reid shared a selfie alongside the pair after they crossed paths backstage.

Tweeting the snap, she penned the caption: ‘Fantastic to see @benshephard & @catdeeley behind the scenes this morning before their This Morning debut. Good luck dream team.’

Cat was seen in New York City last week, just two days before she kicked off her This Morning stint.

Her new role will mean she could reportedly lose her long-time role on So You Think You Can Dance in the US, where she was paid £43k an episode – instead opting for the role on This Morning with a reported £550k annual salary.

It had been claimed that Cat was finally won round with a lucrative deal, but insiders at ITV denied the claims – insisting it was the ability to spend more time with family, over a big money payday, that finally sealed the deal.

Cat’s husband Patrick Kielty, with whom she shares two children, is the host of Ireland’s The Late Late Show and her role on This Morning would bring her closer geographically to her husband rather than her US job.

When reports of her joining the show first emerged last year it was claimed she and Ben would receive an annual salary of £555,000.

While hefty, the salary still paled in comparison to former hosts Holly and Phil, who were said to have been paid £700,000 annually for their role.

Ben had his final GMB show on February 23, leaving his ‘on-screen wife’ Kate Garraway after nearly 20 years.

The pair were unveiled as the new additions to the show last month following the departures of Phillip and Holly last year
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The pair were unveiled as the new additions to the show last month following the departures of Phillip and Holly last year

Cat and Ben also received messages of support from some of their celebrity pals, with Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly sharing a sweet tribute to their former SMTV co-host
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View gallery

Cat and Ben also received messages of support from some of their celebrity pals, with Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly sharing a sweet tribute to their former SMTV co-host

Ben also received a sweet message from his longtime pal Chris Kamara, who said: 'He was one of the best things to happen to me and vice versa I'm sure you're going to smash it'
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Ben also received a sweet message from his longtime pal Chris Kamara, who said: ‘He was one of the best things to happen to me and vice versa I’m sure you’re going to smash it’

He said at the time: ‘One of the hardest decisions of course is knowing that my mornings with Kate, my on-screen wife of nearly 20 years, is coming to an end.’

The news was confirmed via a bespoke promo on This Morning’s Twitter last month, showing Ben walking down the familiar This Morning production corridor and placing a new photo of Cat on the wall, before turning to the camera as the photo comes to life.

Cat said: ‘This Morning is a national institution. Whenever it’s on, it’s like having your friends over – funny, smart, silly, heartfelt, informative and joyful – like all the greatest friendships!…

READ MORE: Ben Shephard makes a joke at the expense of Cat Deeley’s husband Patrick Kielty days before the pair’s This Morning debut

‘This Morning is and always will be the viewer’s show. Ben and I both know how much people love it, and with the help of an amazing team of people, we’re going to do our best to take care of it.’

Ben added: ‘This really feels like a very special moment for Cat and I to be part of the next chapter of This Morning. It’s an honour to be trusted with the reigns, join Alison and Dermot and all the team that work on and off screen and do such a great job…

‘For the last ten years I’ve been waking up with our ITV daytime audience on GMB and I now look forward to spending time with Cat…

‘Welcoming the viewers home after the school run or from their early morning routines, with a cup of tea and a mix of everything that makes This Morning so loved.’

This Morning’s Editor, Martin Frizell said: ‘The team and I have relished the opportunity to try new things these past few months and remind viewers what a massively talented team both on and off screen we have here at This Morning…

‘We can’t wait to welcome Ben and Cat fully into the fold next month and witness the start of another exciting chapter in the show’s 35 year journey.’

It comes after Holly left the show last October ‘for the sake of her family’ after discovering she was the target of a foiled kidnap and murder plot and has since not been replaced permanently.

It came five months after Phillip’s departure after his affair with a young male showrunner was made public, followed by claims of an increasingly strained relationship with his co-host.

Phillip has bowed out of the spotlight in recent months since his affair scandal in May, which led to his departure from This Morning after over 20 years on the show.

After much speculation about his private life, his affair finally went public and he admitted he had been left ‘broken and ashamed’ but insisted he was not a groomer.

He said the affair ‘never came across’ as an abuse of power because he and his lover were ‘mates’. He told The Sun: ‘I was unprofessional, one time, in a 41-year career. There is no excuse. No one did anything wrong apart from me.’

Ben, who left Good Morning Britain last month after 10 years, added: 'Everyone has been so kind. Thank you to everyone who has sent us messages of support'
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Ben, who left Good Morning Britain last month after 10 years, added: ‘Everyone has been so kind. Thank you to everyone who has sent us messages of support’

In his first interview since leaving the broadcaster and This Morning, the 61-year-old presenter said: ‘I did not, I did not [groom him].

‘There are accusations of all sorts of things. It never came across that way because we’d become mates. I don’t know about that. But of course I understand that there will be a massive judgment, but bearing in mind, I have never exercised that.’

At the time, Phillip offered a number of apologies, including to his co-presenter of 14 years Holly and his wife of 30 years, Stephanie Lowe.

It comes after Holly left the show last October ‘for the sake of her family’ after discovering she was the target of a foiled kidnap and murder plot and has since not been replaced permanently.