5 hours Ago By [email protected] (Lucy Needham)
Vanessa Feltz has quit This Morning after 33 years. The 63-year-old broadcaster has been a regular contributor to the ITV morning show but will be stepping away because of her commitment to her new Channel 5 show Vanessa, which will launch on 24 March at 12.45pm.
The show is set to 'rival' ITV's flagship morning show, currently presented by Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard . Vanessa told the Daily Star newspaper: "I've been on ' This Morning ' since 1992. It's been a long time .
But I'm now doing my own show and I can't do both." Vanessa praised the presenters and crew on 'This Morning' for being "so lovely" about her decision. She added: "When I told everyone I wouldn't be able to do the show anymore, they were lovely about it.
I heard from Alison Hammond and Holly Willoughby immediately and the bosses were charming. I'll miss working with them all." The veteran broadcaster has learned a lot from her time on the show.
She said: "I have learned lots of stuff on 'This Morning'. "When I first did it, I had never been on TV before. I didn't know what was going on.
I was bamboozled but theygave me a contract." And Vanessa "couldn't be more excited" about her new talk show. She gushed: "This is a fantastic opportunity and I couldn't be more excited.
It feels marvellous." Vanessa - who became a household name with her eponymous ITV daytime show, which ran from 1994 until 1998 before moving to the BBC for a short-lived show for several months the following year - announced her new show earlier this month. She said in a statement: “I cannot wait to get started on this sparkling adventure with Channel 5.
This show is all about YOU – your stories, your opinions, your emotions, and your triumphs. Television’s never been so real, honest, or unpredictable. "Life isn’t perfect, so let’s not pretend it is – let’s help each other out, have a giggle, and make every show a conversation worth having so kick off your shoes and come and join me for lunch, relax with a bit of me time and let’s have a ball!” The programme will cover a wide range of topics including celebrities, gossip, fashion, relationships and parenting.
Meanwhile, commissioning editor of Channel 5, Federico Ruiz added: "We are thrilled to have signed Vanessa, an award-winning broadcaster and bona-fide national treasure, to our daytime line-up. Our audience love her, and there is nobody better for viewers to spend their lunchtimes with every single weekday." ITN's managing director of content, Ian Rumsey commented: "Vanessa defined the genre with her first talk show and this new slot on Channel 5 is a brilliant and unique opportunity to work with one of the pioneers of talk shows, and take all that talent, energy and experience to create a fresh twist to daytime chat.
" Vanessa's new role comes after This Morning viewers branded her brave for undergoing a mammogram live on the ITV show. Last month, Vanessa highlighted the importance of the test which is used to detect breast cancer in a live segment. "Fair play to Vanessa for doing this, it's a little uncomfortable (literally for a few seconds) but not painful, and can save your life!" wrote one fan on X, formerly Twitter , while another commented: "Well done to Vanessa!!! Love that woman!".
