“This Morning” boss Martin Frizell is leaving the ITV morning show after ten years in the role.
It is the latest blow for the 37-year-old magazine show ‘This Morning’, which has seen a string of controversies over the past 24 months after its long-running hosts, Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, resigned in quick succession.
Frizell is the show’s longest-serving editor, having joined ITV in 2014 as editor of fellow daytime show ‘Loose Women’. He will resign next spring. His successor has not yet been announced.
“Next year I expect my family priorities to change, so I need to make time for it,” Frizell said. “I love my team at ITV and will miss them and the excitement of live television, but it is an always-on commitment, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and I won’t be able to do both.”
“It has been a privilege to lead truly great presenters and producers. Together we have released over six thousand hours of live current television, that’s about 20,000 items and although the gongs are always fun. I’m most proud of the change we’ve made in so many lives, even saving quite a few, with our campaigns against suicide, menopause, testicular cancer and ‘how-to’ items. This juggernaut is the toughest test for any journalist.”
Kevin Lygo, ITV media and entertainment boss, said: “’This Morning’ is an iconic show in ITV’s schedule, and leading the team for ten years, producing more than ten hours of original, timely live television every week is a great achievement. achievement . As a program and brand, Martin has ensured the show remains a household name, an award-winning part of the program with a growing successful digital and social presence. On behalf of the ITV Network, we thank Martin and wish him all the best for his future endeavours.”
Frizell’s last two years on the show may have contributed to his decision to step back. The controversy first raged after Schofield and Willoughby were accused of ‘queue jumping’ when they were given VIP access to see Queen Elizabeth II lie in state after her death in September 2022. Then reports began to emerge that all was not well among the co-anchors, which increased after Schofield’s brother Timothy went on trial for sexual abuse of a child. Schofield took a last-minute leave of absence from his day job during the trial, reportedly “blindsiding” Willoughby, who was unaware of the impending trial.
The tension between the two, who were not only long-term colleagues but also close friends, finally came to a head after Schofield admitted to having an affair with a young PA, a mistake he described as ‘unwise but not illegal’, which his twenty-year career at the PA came to an end. show. It’s unclear whether Schofield resigned or was pushed out – he has since claimed the latter – and the show tried to limp along with Willoughby and a replacement. Not long after, however, Willoughby learned that a man had been arrested after plotting to kidnap and kill her. This summer he was sentenced to a minimum prison sentence of sixteen years. After the plot came to light, Willoughby decided to step down from the show after 14 years in the role.
After much hand-wringing, the duo were eventually replaced by ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ presenter Cat Deeley and ‘Good Morning Britain’ presenter Ben Shephard in March this year, leading to a dip in ratings.
Last month, Schofield attempted a TV comeback with a Channel 5 special that saw him stranded on a desert island. During his time on the island, the former star of British daytime television has bitterly criticized a trio he nicknamed “the three shits of showbiz” for allegedly abandoning him when his career collapsed . Although he did not name names, British tabloid The Sun speculated that they were Willoughby, ITV boss Carolyn McCall and ‘This Morning’ editor Frizell.