ITV This Morning boss to step down after ten years as co-stars 'shocked'

This Morning's boss, Martin Frizell, has announced that he will be leaving the popular ITV programme after a decade at the helm.

Martin, 65, who is married to TV presenter Fiona Phillips, is expected to leave in Spring next year and a replacement is not thought to have been appointed, according to reports.

In a heartfelt statement, Martin expressed the need to focus on his family as he announced his departure.

He said: "Next year I'm expecting my family priorities to change so I need to free up time for them. I love my team at ITV and will miss them and the thrill of live telly but it's an always on, 24 hours a day, seven days a week commitment and I won't be able to do both."

Furthermore, he reflected: "It's been a privilege to lead truly great presenters and producers, between us we've turned out more than six thousand hours of live topical telly, that's around 20,000 items", reports the Manchester Evening News.

Martin also shared his pride in the show's impact: "Whilst the gongs are always nice I'm most proud of the change we made to so many lives, even saving a fair few with our campaigns on anti suicide, menopause, testicular cancer and 'how - to' items. This juggernaut is the toughest test for any broadcast journalist."

Kevin Lygo, ITV's managing director of media and entertainment, also commented on Martin's departure, saying: "This Morning is an iconic show in ITV's schedule, and heading the team for a decade, producing more than ten hours of original, topical, live television every week is an amazing achievement.

"As a programme and a brand, Martin has made sure the show continues to be a household name, an award-winning staple of the schedule with a growing successful presence in digital and social. On behalf of the ITV Network, we thank Martin and wish him the very best for his future ventures." ITV said that Martin's replacement will be announced in due course.

Meanwhile, it's been reported that Martin's departure came as a surprise to his co-stars. A source told The Sun: "It's a real shock to everyone on the show - he's been working there for so long.

"Nobody saw it coming at all. As far as everyone knows they have nobody lined up to replace him either." This Morning has been contacted for comment.

This comes amidst a series of changes for This Morning after host Phillip Schofield declared on May 20, 2023, that he would be leaving hosting the show with Holly Willoughby, 43, after over two decades.

Five months after Phillip stepped away from This Morning, Holly followed suit. In a statement posted to social media, she announced she would be stepping down from This Morning after 14 years.

In March, Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley were announced as Phillip and Holly’s permanent replacements on This Morning.

This Morning continues on weekdays at 10am on ITV and ITV X.