ITV are reportedly eyeing up golden couple Tess Daly and Vernon Kay for This Morning.
The married couple could be in line for the top job if and when Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard’s contracts come to an end at the channel, a new report claims.
It comes after Tess, 56, joined Vernon, 51, for a one-off special of The One Show last month after stepping down from Strictly Come Dancing after 21 years.
Experienced presenter Tess received a warm response from fans after the show aired on the BBC.
Their last major joint presenting role before this was on the BBC singing competition Just the Two of Us, which they co-hosted between 2006 and 2007.
The episode is thought to have sparked the interest of ITV, reports The Sun, as their natural chemistry was evident.
A source told the publication: ‘It was a total no-brainer the second they saw them on The One Show sofa.
ITV are reportedly eyeing up golden couple Tess Daly and Vernon Kay for This Morning (seen on The One Show last month)
It comes after Tess, 56, joined Vernon, 51, for a one-off special of The One Show last month after stepping down from Strictly Come Dancing after 21 years
‘Execs have been sweet on Vernon for ages, but the pair’s natural husband-and-wife banter made them realise exactly what This Morning has been missing.
‘They are obsessed with finding the next Richard and Judy, and Tess and Vernon have that exact same effortless magic. Audiences are notoriously tough on new faces, but they completely fell in love with their northern charm.
The newspaper reports that Cat and Ben’s contracts end this spring. The Daily Mail has contacted ITV for comment.
Tess and Vernon shared the screen for the first time in nearly 20 years last month.
The married couple presented The One Show as they stood in for Alex Jones and Roman Kemp, who were busy filming the BBC’s story-telling competition, 500 words, at Windsor Castle.
They were joined in the studio by Hollywood stars Jessie Buckley and Maggie Gyllenhaal, plus Bridgerton stars Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha on the show.
Tess received a warm response from fans, who told her: ‘It was so lovely to see you on the TV Tess. I let out an ‘ahhhh’ when I saw you with your lovely hubby’;
‘You did great tess, hope you’ll be on again soon’ and ‘A brilliant line up and you were so relaxed be lovely to see you again.’,
‘You and Vern presenting together is everything. Loved it’.
Tess and Vernon met when they were both working as up-and-coming presenters in separate shows on some of the country’s biggest TV channels.
At the time, Vernon was a host on Channel 4’s T4, and Tess presented SMTV on ITV on a Saturday morning.
The couple began dating shortly after meeting on T4, and went on to become one of TV’s best-known couples.
Both Tess and Vernon’s careers went from strength to strength, with the couple even presenting the BBC singing competition Just The Two Of Us together between 2006 and 2007.
Tess previously told Digital Spy of their relationship: ‘It was all quite immediate, really, because we instantly had such a blast together.
Experienced presenter Tess received a warm response from fans after the show aired on the BBC
The married couple could be in line for the top job if and when Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard’s (seen) contracts come to an end at the channel
‘I couldn’t imagine having more fun with anyone else. It was pretty explosive, I tell you.’
She explained that a long-term relationship changes over time, saying: ‘You keep the fire burning, you keep stoking that fire.’
Tess added that her husband has grown up in recent years, Tess said: ‘I guess he is the same, but more mature. You know what men are like, they never really grow up, do they? Do they ever catch us up mentally? I don’t think so.’
Two years after meeting, they tied the knot in 2003 at St Mary’s Church in Horwich, Vernon’s hometown.
According to Hello!, the couple hosted their reception at the nearby Rivington Hall Barn.
Vernon said he was ‘over the moon’ at his low-key wedding, after the couple decided to ditch holding a high-profile celebrity bash.
Instead, some carefully considered celebrity guests at the wedding included Big Brother winner Brian Dowling and T4 presenter June Sarpong.
DJ Brandon Block was also on hand to provide entertainment at the reception party.
Tess and Vernon have two children together, Phoebe Elizabeth, 21 and Amber Isabella Kay, 16.
