Eamomn and Ruth reportedly dropped from This Morning

If they are demoted from their regular Friday slot, I really can’t see Eamonn and Ruth continuing to host over the summer holidays. I personally like them both, but can see how a younger pairing would be more ‘on brand’. If this is in fact true, it would have been far more respectful to have given Eamonn and Ruth the opportunity to ‘leave of their own accord’ as opposed to being publicly axed. Ruth still has the Loose Women gig, and depending on how relations are left with ITV, Eamonn could cover for Piers on GMB during the holidays.

He did that a couple of years ago, but more recently Piers and Ben's covers on GMB have been Adil Ray and Alex Beresford...

If Dermot and Alison don't work out, it's no skin off the nose of the producers of This Morning and ITV because it's only one day a week.

I think Alison brings a sense of warmth and fun to the programme, and I can also see her being very down to earth on human interest stories. I think she’ll fit really well into a regular presenting gig and Dermot has enough presenting experience to further settle into the role too.
Also what’s the point in having a ‘journalistic quality’ on a Friday when you don’t have that on the other four days of the week? Doesn’t really make sense.
And you mention about Eamonn’s fondness of the show, but I have to say, I always got the impression Eamonn found the whole thing a bit fluffy and dumbed down at times, and I say that as someone who does quite like Eamonn and Ruth. But I can’t help but think sometimes Eamonn didn’t adapt very well to some of the lifestyle features.



I do think this newspaper scoop before an official announcement from itv, isn’t anyway to handle the potential departure of two members of a team who been there 15 years. However blaming and downplaying the achievements of the rumoured replacements and quoting ‘diversity drives’ is utter garbage. Why hire Dermot then a white British bloke in his late 40s? If was all about diversity another BAME or LGBT presenter in, they haven’t. Ore or Rylan could have slotted in to fill a ‘ quota ’, they haven’t.

Alison and Dermot IF they are to get this job are getting it on merit.

Exactly. Alison actually really surprised me how good she was in the main host role - always loved her doing her bits but I thought the main gig was a bit risky (although pairing her with an experienced pro like Dermot makes it less so) but she handled all aspects really well.

Agree breaking the story in the press isn't ideal. Really does annoy me though on social media when with such a story people feel the need to tag in the people it features.

I don’t think Alison and Dermot gelled that well. But without the X Factor... Dermot doesn’t have anything else.

Ruth can now be available full time for Loose Women. And not sure what Eamonn will do. Ruth and Eamonn haven’t been my favourite... but they add a dimension to the show for the older viewers which they will lack now.

Allison is popular, but with Dermot will lack the gravitas for the serious interviews. It’s a shame and can understand why Ruth and Eamonn would be upset... if indeed they are.

From ITV's perpective, replacing Eamonn and Ruth now means that when Holly and/or Phil eventually leave, they will have ready made replacements who can slip into the main gig without too much bother and they only have to worry about finding Friday replacement whereas it would be a riskier option to replace all of them at the same time.

Twitter (I know) surprisingly positive about this news - expected most comments to be against it but would say about 60-70% seem to support replacing them. Dan Woottan of course who took Eamonn's job at Talk Radio after being axed by ITV Daytime and spending a year trying doing his best to cause friction amongst the This Morning presenters is of course furious.

This. Eamonn always seems unimpressed playing Spin to Win for example.

His skills would be much better used as Thursday/Friday on Good Morning Britain. Ben Shephard would be better suited to This Morning than Dermot imo.

Had it been Holly and Phil, I imagine it would have been a slightly more mixed reaction.

Eamonn isn't on a golden handcuffs deal is he? So he could freelance elsewhere.

Eamonn is a great live TV presenter and excels in news and interviews. I like that he is honest and down to earth - and that he doesn't stand there pretending to have an interest in testing lipsticks and face creams. Phillip and Holly come across insincere a lot of the time.
I guess it's moving with the times, but they have made This Morning a lot fluffier and dumbed down compared to when it had more of a journalistic grounding with Richard, Judy, Fern and Eamonn and Ruth's early days.
It has become tackier and so many features are sensationalist. But they get a lot of people commenting and sharing online, so I guess it works for them. And revenue through advertising must be doing well it.
It sounds like it will continue being fluffy and maybe E and R will be better out of it. It sounds like BBC Morning Live is more like how TM used to be.
Another broadcaster might offer E and R another live show. Maybe if Channel 4 ever want to record having a viewer at 12.30 - 2.10.