THIS Morning is facing fresh doubts over its future after viewership figures almost halved in two months.
Just over a million watched the first day with new hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard in mid-March.
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This Morning has suffered a drop in ratings since new hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard were hired in mid-MarchCredit: Rex
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Former presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby left the long-running ITV show Credit: Rex last year
By the same point in May, the peak had fallen to 589,000 – with an average of 486,000 watching the ITV show.
Meanwhile, BBC1 rival Morning Live had solid figures between a million and 1.4 million.
It is the latest blow to This Morning following the loss of hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
A TV insider said: “No one at This Morning thought the viewing figures would drop below a record low of half a million.
“The arrival of Ben and Cat should spark a revival and hopefully keep the ratings above the million mark.
“But within weeks it became apparent that they had failed while their enemy Morning Live remained strong.
“There is now a huge question mark over the future of the show because it is difficult to justify the huge costs of creating a live daily show, especially at a time when ad revenue for linear TV is so low.”
Last year, This Morning faced chaos after it emerged that Phillip had been having an affair with a young runner from the show.
However, the highest number of viewers was between 682,000 and 996,000.
He then quit, and Holly later followed him, after allegedly plotting to kidnap and kill her.
Watch the shocking moment Dermot O’Leary breaks down in tears live on This Morning
An ITV spokeswoman said: “This Morning continues to reach more than four million viewers a week and remains one of the most watched programs on ITVX in 2024.
“The award-winning show has never had a better connection with viewers; with 11 million followers across This Morning’s social media platforms and almost 130 million video views of This Morning content each month, reaching an average of 62 million unique social media accounts each month.”
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Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond also host This Morning, pictured in May 2024 Credit: Rex
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How do this morning’s viewing figures compare to March 2024?
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Source: HIS Education