CAT Deeley is joining This Morning as a presenter, The Sun can reveal.
The former SMTV Live presenter, 47, will sit alongside Rylan Clark on the famous ITV sofa as bosses continue to search for replacements for Holly Willoughby and Phil Schofield.
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Cat Deeley has joined This Morning and will co-host with Rylan Clark. Credit: Getty
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She will fill in after Phil and Holly stepped down earlier this year. Credit: Rex
Cat and Rylan, 35, will co-host for a week from Monday 13.
It comes after Rylan proved a hit with This Morning viewers when he hosted the show last week.
A source said: “Cat is a seasoned professional and the executives have been keen to bring her on board for some time.
“She watches live TV in her step, and he is very funny and nice with guests.
“She’s comfortable interviewing pop stars and politicians alike, so if it goes well, she could be a much more permanent solution to Holly’s departure. Cat would be a sure-fire captain to steady the ship.
“Rylan has also been a tremendous success so fans can expect to see a lot more of him in the future.”
An ITV spokeswoman said: “Cat Deeley and Rylan will co-host This Morning on Monday and Tuesday, Cat will co-host alongside Craig Doyle on Wednesday, then Alison Hammond and Craig on Thursday. Alison and Dermot will co-host the show as usual on Friday. “
Producers also want to invite Cat’s presenter husband Patrick Kielty, 52, to join her on the sofa, but he is tied up with his duties as host of the Late Late Show in Northern Ireland.
The flagship daytime show has remained in crisis since star Holly, 42, quit in October, just months after Phillip, 61, was sacked for having an affair with a much younger female runner, leaving a shortage of presenters.
Earlier this year, there was speculation that Rylan threw shade at Schofield amid the slump when he gave an interview in May.
Rylan, who announced he was leaving Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two in April, did not name anyone but said: “People can see who they are and they can see who they are not.
“I’ve been in this industry for almost 11 years and all I’ve ever been is nice and polite to people.
“And that’s starting to pay off for me now because there are people in this industry who aren’t like that.
“They think they’re something special. And the walls are starting to fall.”
Last month Rylan made another thinly veiled reference to Schofield in an interview with The Telegraph discussing showbiz gossip.
He said: “The only time I’ve ever been involved in something like that is when my name was involved.
He went on to explain that he lives by the motto: “Work hard, be polite to everyone and be good to everyone on your way up, because everyone has a fall.”
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Cat rose to fame on SMTV live with Anto and Dec in the nineties Credits: Rex
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Rylan returned to the sofa last month and hosted alongside Josie Gibson
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