Viewers of This Morning have been left buzzing after Cat Deeley mysteriously disappeared from the sofa — with her temporary replacement quickly sparking fierce debate.
Irish presenter Angela Scanlon, who competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2023, has stepped in alongside Ben Shephard over the past couple of days — and her effortless hosting style has not gone unnoticed.
With Cat absent since Tuesday (February 24), Ben has been fronting the show with Angela, while keeping tight-lipped about Cat’s whereabouts. He did, however, suggest she would be away for “a couple of days,” joking on air that Angela would be his “play date” in the meantime.
The day before, Ben fuelled speculation further by teasing fans on Instagram, quipping that “Deeley’s done a runner” after Monday’s episode — before confirming Angela would be taking over hosting duties.
As Angela settled into the role, viewers were quick to take to social media, with some already calling for a more permanent change to the presenting line-up.
“Two questions… where is Cat, and can we keep Angela forever?” one fan asked on X.
Another declared: “Best presenter since Holly Willoughby!”, referencing Holly Willoughby, whose departure last year left a noticeable gap on the show.
Some viewers were even more forthright.
“Can we please replace Cat Deeley with Angela Scanlon?” one wrote. “Or replace Alison Hammond with Angela Scanlon? Or preferably replace both with Angela.”
Another praised: “Angela Scanlon is brilliant on This Morning. What a superb addition to the presenting team. Great vision by the production team to bring her on board.”
A fifth added simply: “Petition to replace Cat with Angela!”
However, not everyone has been convinced by Angela’s stint.
Some viewers criticised her presenting style, with one claiming: “When I see Angela, she just morphs into a Catherine Tate character. I can’t take her seriously.”
Another asked bluntly: “How far down the list of replacements was Angela Scanlon?”
And one particularly harsh critic wrote: “How does Angela Scanlon get these TV gigs? Awful presenter, complete try-hard and so unnatural.”
Even her on-screen expressions have been scrutinised, with one viewer commenting that Angela was “going a bit overboard with her ‘concerned face’ look.”
Despite the divided opinions, Angela’s appearance has undeniably reignited debate about the future of This Morning’s presenting line-up — particularly while Cat’s absence remains unexplained.
For now, ITV has not commented on Cat’s time away from the show, leaving fans to continue speculating over whether Angela’s role is strictly temporary — or the beginning of something more.
