Cat Deeley is “relying heavily” on co-host Ben Shephard, according to a body language expert. The 47-year-old presenter recently made her debut on This Morning alongside Ben earlier this month.
Speaking to Betfair Live Casino, Darren Stanton has opened up on the pair’s working relationship and analysed them individually as presenters, suggesting that Cat is “relying on her co-host” as she settles into her new role.
He said: “Cat was definitely the right person to co-host with Ben. Ben is super confident and he’s extremely professional. As a presenter, he’s able to go slightly off-piste and a little off schedule with an item, then play it back.
“While I do think Cat has grown in confidence, she still relies on Ben to an extent. They’re not yet on par with each other. At the moment, Ben is very much the lead anchor of the show and gives Cat confidence, which is clear.
“However, I do think there will be a shift eventually and they will become equals. Cat is developing in leaps and bounds in terms of the space she occupies, levels of confidence and banter.”
Cat has been a familiar face on our television screens for decades, hosting a variety of programmes in the UK and the USA over the years. The 47-year-old is married to Patrick Kielty and they share two children together, Milo and James.
The pair originally were residing in California but moved back to England in 2020 after a terrifying ordeal. Cat and her family were caught up in a horrible mall shooting in Century City Mall.
Meanwhile, Ben Shephard has moved over from Good Morning Britain where he co-hosted alongside Kate Garraway. Ben joined the show during its initial launch in 2014 and became a regular host before his departure.
This is the first month for Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard as permanent hosts of This Morning. They made their debut earlier this month (Monday 11 March) as the new official hosts of the ITV daytime programme.
It has been previously reported that Ben and Cat’s pay from This Morning is estimated to be around £550K a year. This is £150,000 less than Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby who both departed the show last year.
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV and ITVX.