THIS Morning faces a “major overhaul” next spring after long-serving boss Martin Frizell quit last night.
The announcement shocked ITV staff including presenters Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard who could see a presenting “shake-up” with a new team expected to come in and rejuvenate the brand.
News of his departure comes just two months after former presenter Phillip Schofield described the mercurial journalist as a “s***” - dragging up two years of turbulent This Morning toxicity.
Although ITV will externally advertise the £155,000 a year role, current Associate Editor Vivek Sharma is heavily tipped to land the coveted gig.
Last night a source said: “This really is the end of an era for daytime telly; huge changes are afoot.
“The show has never truly recovered from Holly and Phil’s departure, and this is a chance to move on from the old guard and bring in fresh faces to detoxify the brand once and for all.
“Whilst Cat and Ben are hugely talented and accomplished broadcasters, the reality is their chemistry simply hasn’t replicated that of Holly and Phillip in their prime.
“The hope is that a few tweaks here and there can make a huge difference - with presenters added to the roster, and a few exciting new features.
“Martin was mercurial and merciless when he was angry, and a few people were pretty scared of him.
“Martin was old school, but he was also hugely talented, hands-on, hard-working, and dedicated to the running of that ship.
“His strengths, however, were that he was a total maverick and absolutely fearless.
“Whilst officially ITV will open the job up to external candidates, the feeling is Vivek is a shoo-in - he’s brilliant, young, talented and just what the show needs to freshen-up and engage with a TikTok generation. He is bursting with ideas.
“But he knows not to reinvent the wheel, and alienate This Morning core audience of housewives and young mums - but he will do it his way.”
The fiery editor, 65, announced his departure yesterday in an internal email to all staff - minutes before the official announcement from broadcast bosses.
He will use his time away from London’s White City to spend more time - and care for - his wife, former GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips who, heartbreakingly, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2022.
Family man Martin said in a statement yesterday: “Next year I'm expecting my family priorities to change so I need to free up time for them.
“I love my team at ITV and will miss them and the thrill of live telly but it's an always on, 24 hours a day, seven days a week commitment and I won't be able to do both.
“It's been a privilege to lead truly great presenters and producers, between us we've turned out more than six thousand hours of live topical telly, that's around 20,000 items and the gongs are always nice.”
Next year I'm expecting my family priorities to change so I need to free up time for them
Martin Frizell
Referencing his pride in campaigns covering subjects such as suicide, menopause and testicular cancer, he added: “This juggernaut is the toughest test for any broadcast journalist.”
A source added: “Editing This Morning is an all-consuming job, and Martin felt he couldn't give his all both to the show and his family. Something, sadly, had to give.
“As anyone knows who has Alzheimer’s in the family, it’s a truly awful, cruel and progressive disease. Martin adores Fiona and now she must be his priority.
“This was all his decision though, and of course he would like to keep his hand in telly and who knows what the future holds; he’s made a lot of incredible contacts over a hugely successful career.”
Vivek previously produced Steph’s Packed Lunch on Channel 4, a show - based at Leeds dock - which quickly became cult viewing at lunchtime - hosted by former BBC Breakfast star Steph McGovern - and garnered a huge following of loyal viewers.
He was previously poached by Piers Morgan to run his award-winning Uncensored show.
Katie Storry, who previously worked with Vivek before upping ship to Loose Women, could also be brought back to the show.
She is currently working as Deputy Editor on Jeremy Vine’s Channel 5 show.
However, Head of Daytime Emma Gormley has also had a hard time of late.
She has been - some might say unfairly - tainted by developments over the past two years, with the final straw being Phillip Schofield’s recent appearance on Channel 5 show Castaway.
On it, whilst fending for himself on a Madagascan island, he referred to the “three s***s” of daytime television.
It quickly promoted a guessing game within both the industry - and, crucially, online.
The three s****s eventually emerged as Martin, Emma and Holly.
Emma, though, was recently invited to sit on the ITV’s Studio’s board so her job looks unlikely to change any time soon.
Phillip and Martin - who were previously shared an “exceedingly tight-knit” relationship - fell out spectacularly in the wake of Queuegate.
Martin ordered Holly and Phillip to “jump” the huge queues to see the late Queen lying in state - something the presenter, 62, repeatedly objected to, knowing the optics would look terrible.
He was, though, over-ruled by Martin. The resulting fall-out saw Holly and Phillip ridiculed online with countless memes, and slated by the public who claimed their actions were disrespectful.
Martin did not own up to his error and let the pair take the flak - something the former Dancing On Ice host was utterly seething about.
Instead, the unhappy duo were forced to apologise on-air, with Phillip looking utterly furious as Holly addressed the nation. Queuegate was another catalyst for Holly and Phil’s ultimate rift.
Adds a source: “Phillip’s recent TV appearance ruffled many, many feathers.
“Phillip’s quote went everywhere and caused a lot of internal problems - and much embarrassment - for ITV, and brought up all the old toxicity surrounding queue-gate, etc.
“They now want a clean break from the past, and to finally start getting away from the legacy of Phil and Holly.”
Whilst Cat and Ben are hugely talented and accomplished broadcasters, the reality is their chemistry simply hasn’t replicated that of Holly and Phillip in their prime
A source
During Martin’s tenure, the show won several awards and was a regular on the podium at the National Television Awards.
However, in the past two years it has been beaten in Best Daytime category - a result of the fall-out of the Holly and Phil fall-out.
The pair, one-time best friends and the country’s most popular male/female presenting duo, fell out acrimoniously after Holly began to distance herself from her co-star in the wake of his paedofile brother’s arrest.
And after long-standing rumours concerning Phillip’s brief affair with a much younger member of staff re-emerged, the broadcaster issued a statement confirming an “unwise but not illegal” fling.
He was promptly sacked by ITV - and has not spoken face to face with his erstwhile “TV sister” since.
Five months later Holly quit the programme after it emerged she had been horrifically targeted by would-be stalker Gavin Plumb who plotted to murder her.
In December 2021 former on-screen medic Dr Ranj described the show’s culture as “toxic.”
In the wake of this turmoil, ratings began to tumble as bosses frantically looked for long-term replacements.
They eventually settled on accomplished and talented broadcasters Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley - although fans have not taken to them as a duo as had been hoped.
Many viewers hoped Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary who present every Friday, would get the gig full time.
Martin’s departure comes as ITV shares have jumped nine per cent following a reported bid interest.
CVC Capital partners are rumoured to be in talks for a takeover which could produce a huge boost to profits - and help attract more top talent.
Previously the share price at This Morning was said to be a “huge concern” for execs - and they do not wish to jeopardise it with past tainting.
Adds a source: “The hope is that, under Vivek, a new leaf will be turned, and a new audience drawn to the show.
"This, too, will hopefully result in a bolstering of the share-price which, obviously, has a positive knock-on effect all round.
“Whilst many will be sad to see Martin go - and undeniably he has done so, so much for that programme - change is always exciting, and staff at ITV are looking forwards, and wanting to put the recent choppy past behind them.”
ALL good things must come to an end - and after 10 years, and a particularly turbulent past 18 months - the end was nigh for Martin Frizell.
Mercurial, passionate, talented and combative, he is one of the last of the old-school Editors.
But under his helm, the myth of the cosy world of daytime telly was shattered. Unquestionably Holly and Phillip’s toxic feud tarnished the brand - and to this day, their spectre haunts This Morning.
Just weeks ago, The Ghost of Schofield Past came back to haunt Martin, over a Madagascan camp fire.
Frizell - whose charity campaigns must be lauded - can be proud of his legacy. But major changes, surely, are coming to This Morning.
