Ruth Langsford breaks silence as she’s asked about replacing Holly Willoughby

Ruth Langsford has opened up about whether she could return to the helm of This Morning. The presenter previously manned the ITV show’s sofa between 1992 and 2022.

Speaking in a new interview, Ruth, 63, has claimed that she could “never say never” about replacing Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield. However, she also revealed to Rosie Nixon, the host of Hello! Magazine’s In A Good Place podcast “that ship has sailed”.

“Listen, never say never,” she began. “I absolutely adore that show as you know, and it was a joy – a dream to work on it because I’d always watched it.

“I watched Richard [Madeley] and Judy [Finnigan], and I just think what a great show.” The mother-of-one then went on to reminisce about her time on the morning mainstay.

She first reminded listeners that she was actually part of the set-up before she was joined by her husband, Eamonn Holmes. The 64-year-old broadcaster first began presenting the daytime programme on Friday mornings from 2006, until he ended his contractual obligations in 2021.

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“I worked on it before Eamonn [Holmes] actually – people forget that.

“I always say to him ‘I took you to work, don’t forget’. But I loved it, and I still love it – it’s a great show.”

Touching on the leave of Holly, 42, and Phillip, 61, the Loose Women panellist added: “Whatever’s happened with presenters, it happens. People come and people go.

“But that show I hope will always be around and it evolves and it’s a great, great programme and the people behind the scenes – it’s a big machine to get on the air every day for two hours.”

Ruth’s comments come after Phillip stepped down from presenting This Morning and resigned from ITV in May.

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A week after quitting the daytime programme, the former Dancing On Ice star admitted that he had been having an affair with a younger colleague.

At the time, he told MailOnline: “I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.

“Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship.”

He added that while the relationship with the younger man was “unwise” it was “not illegal”.

Following her former co-host’s departure, Holly took to social media to release her own statement.

At the time, the mum-of-three told her Instagram followers that she asked Phillip “directly” if the allegations were true and “was told it was not”.

She added: “It’s been very hurtful to now find out that was a lie.”

In October, the star announced that she would not be returning to present This Morning, and wrote that she had let her bosses know.

The TV star said: “I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning.”

“To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so so much.

“This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we’ve done together.”

She added that she was stepping down for herself and “her family”.

Following Holly’s departure, the likes of Dermot O’Leary, Allison Hammond and Josie Gibson have taken up temporary residency on the mid-morning staple.

Last week, it was reported that Cat Deeley and Good Morning Britain’s Ben Shephard were due to come on board permanently.

However, Express.co.uk was told by an ITV spokesperson: “We don’t comment on speculation.”

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