Holly Willoughby prepares to face off against This Morning replacement in competitive battle-Sabrina Barr-Entertainment – Metro

Holly quit This Morning last year (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

Holly Willoughby is set to go head-to-head against her replacement on This Morning in the hopes of bagging a huge prize.

Later this year, the National Television Awards are set to take place once again, with stars including Ant and Dec, Alison Hammond, Ncuti Gatwa and Amanda Holden receiving nods at the event.

One of the categories that will be presented on the night is for TV presenter, with the longlist of potential nominees consisting of 51 contenders.

Among them is Holly – who quit ITV’s This Morning in October last year – as well as Cat Deeley – who officially replaced her opposite Ben Shephard from March.

It remains to be seen if either of the TV stars will make the final shortlist of nominees for the star-studded awards ceremony.

The final result will come down to members of the public, who have the chance to vote in 15 categories online on the NTAs website before the deadline on Friday May 31 at 11pm.

Cat Deeley was brought in to replace Holly after her departure (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

She now hosts the ITV programme with Ben Shephard (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

After the votes for the longlist are counted, the shortlist will be revealed in August.

Then, another round of voting will take place, before the winners are finally announced at the ceremony on Wednesday September 11, which is set to air on ITV.

As well as Holly, 43, and Cat, 47, other TV presenters who have been included in the longlist for the NTAs include AJ Odudu, Alan Carr, Bradley Walsh, Claudia Winklemna, Hannah Waddingham, Lorraine Kelly and Susanna Reid.

In 2023, Ant and Dec won the prize for the 22nd year in a row… so there’s a strong chance they could do it again for a 23rd consecutive year.

In October when Holly announced her decision to quit This Morning, she wrote in a statement: ‘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 much. This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we’ve done together. Thank you to everyone at ITV for being supportive. To every guest who has sat on our sofa, thank you.

‘Most of all, thank you to the wonderful viewers. You’ve been so loyal, so supportive and the best company every day.’

It’s been a year since Phillip Schofield also left This Morning (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

She continued: ‘Richard and Judy said, “We only look after this show, it will always belong to the viewers”. It’s been an honour to just be part of its story and I know this story has many chapters left to go. Sadly, however, I now I feel I have to make this decision for me and my family.

‘I will miss you all so much.’

When Cat was announced as the new permanent host of This Morning with Ben, 49, she said: ‘This Morning is a national institution. Whenever it’s on, it’s like having your friends over – funny, smart, silly, heartfelt, informative and joyful – like all the greatest friendships,’ she said in the original official statement.

‘This Morning is and always will be the viewer’s show. Ben and I both know how much people love it, and with the help of an amazing team of people, we’re going to do our best to take care of it.’

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Entertainment – MetroRead More