This Morning

EXCLUSIVE: Kate Lawler has revealed her dream role alongside close pal Alison Hammond 24 years after the pair first met on series three of Big Brother.

Fresh from her success presenting Big Brother: The Group Chat, Kate Lawler has her eyes on the big prize at This Morning. The TV personality, 46, admits she is desperate to sit on the main sofa alongside close pal Alison Hammond.

But she is keen to stress she is not gunning for Dermot O’Leary’s job. The Big Brother series three winner was widely praised for her link-up with GK Barry on this year’s spin-off show.

And she revealed she has been begging producers to let her make the step up on the ITV morning show where she presents live competitions and segments.

Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Kate said: “I’m the silly one now on This Morning. But Alison and I, like I’ve always said that I would love to host the show with Alison.

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“Not that I’m trying to take Dermot’s job! But we always say to Vivek who runs it, ‘Put us on together, Vivek! We’d love to host together’. We still would love to do something together. I don’t know what that is.

“But I would love to do that show if Dermot has a sick day. But I’m definitely not trying to take his job, because Dermot and Alison are just the best duo, and you can tell their chemistry is genuine. They genuinely get on, they love each other. But we still would love to do that show together one day.”

Speaking of genuine connections, Kate admits she was surprised at how well she gelled with GK Barry on their Big Brother spin-off.

“When I did a screen test with GK, I was just like, she is laugh-out-loud funny, and if I’m not doing the show with her, I don’t want to do it with anyone else. She is jokes, and she made my belly laugh every day. She’s probably one of the funniest people I know, just loved working with her.”

Kate was speaking ahead of the launch of Pooch & Mutt’s Christmas range, where the star is an ambassador. And Kate was keen to stress how important her link-up with the company is.

She opened up about how proud she is regarding the work that Pooch & Mutt are doing, especially with their calming range. “I love working with them,” she gushed. “The range is great, they’re for every breed, every need…

“And they work with Woodgreen pets, which is a rehoming charity as well. If anyone is thinking about getting a dog for Christmas, please consider rescues, because so many people think, ‘Oh no, a rescue’s going to be a problematic dog.’

“You can get like puppies in rescue, you can get young dogs through no fault of their own who’ve come into rescue, they’re not all problematic. So, I love that they work with the charity as well.”

Kate, has two dogs herself – mixed-breed terrier rescue Shirley, eight, and border terrier Baxter, 16. And she admits sometimes prefers dogs over humans. Speaking of Baxter, she said: “He’s been the most constant thing in my life as an adult. I haven’t even been with my husband that long.

“He has been through house moves, through breakups, through everything: jobs. And, honestly, he’s getting to the end-of-life stage now. He’s deaf, he’s got osteoarthritis, he has his acupuncture once a month, but he is just still going strong.

“I don’t know how long he’s got left, it’s quite sad. But it’s one of those things in life where you never kind of know when the right time is, and I don’t ever want it to get too horrible for him.”

This Christmas Pooch & Mutt are celebrating the central role dogs play in our festive traditions and driving home one core truth: Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without your dog.

The festive range includes the new Festive Gingerbread Dog Advent Calendar, Festive Pigs in Blankets Meaty Treats and more, combining indulgent seasonal flavours with functional health benefits, providing for all breeds and needs.

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This Morning returned to screens today after it was pulled from air

This Morning returned to screens today after it was suddenly pulled off air yesterday.

Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley addressed the chaos that took place on Wednesday, which resulted in This Morning being removed from the schedule altogether.

Cat said: “Hello there and welcome to your Thursday’s This Morning. Back up and running, someone’s stuck 50p in the meter, we are all good to go.”

Ben added: “There was a power cut across the whole of Covent Garden apparently, which meant that we weren’t on air. But despite that, your hair is looking rather lovely this week.”

He added: “Even when there’s a power cut, you still get our hair done”, as Cat replied: “There was one lamp working so we did it by lamp light, the water was still working at that point.”

Ben later commented: “Thank you to the team that managed to get everything back up and running again because it was a lot of hard work. But fingers crossed we are fully charged and ready to go.”

It comes after ITV was plunged into chaos yesterday (Wednesday, November 4) following an unexpected event which led to a last-minute scheduling change.

Three popular daytime programmes, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women, were pulled off air shortly before they were due to begin as ITV viewers were left confused.

Due to a power outage at ITV’s central London studio, Lorraine was the first show to be pulled off air, with Good Morning Britain hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls confirming the news on their live show.

As a result, GMB was extended until 10am. However, in further disruption, This Morning was then pulled from TV schedules, instead airing a pre-recorded best bits programme, followed by Loose Women also being pulled.

At the time, ITV issued a statement on social media, with the programmes expected to be back to their normal scheduling today (Thursday, November 5).

They wrote: “Following a power cut overnight in the wider area where our Covent Garden studio is based, we are unable to broadcast Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women live today. We will return to our normal schedule as soon as possible.”

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This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV

ITV bosses are said to be left scrambling to come up with ideas as This Morning faces the possibility of being off air for a second day following a power outage at the studios

This Morning could be off air for the rest of the week. Earlier today, ITV was plunged into chaos after a power cut wreaked havoc at its studios in Covent Garden, London.

It was first revealed by Lorraine Kelly that her show wouldn’t air due to the outage, although she explained that bosses were hopeful that normal scheduling would resume as soon as possible. However, This Morning and Loose Women were then cancelled due to the outage.

Good Morning Britain was extended by an additional half hour to fill the void. However, sources now claim that bosses behind the scenes are worried that the power issues will not be resolved in time for tomorrow’s daytime schedule.

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“It appears to be a wider area outage rather than just the studio, and it’s not an easy fix,” a source told The Sun. They added: “Daytime is worried about plans going south for the rest of the week. Lots of work and planning could go to waste.”

Earlier today, ITV addressed the scheduling issues caused by the power cut. In a statement, the network said: “Following a power cut overnight in the wider area where our Covent Garden studio is based, we are unable to broadcast Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women live today. We will return to our normal schedule as soon as possible.”

The trouble began this morning when Lorraine Kelly was the first to reveal ITV were having issues with their daytime shows. She revealed she was on the way to work when she was told there was a power outage and her show couldn’t run.

Meanwhile, Lorraine said on social media: “Hello there, I’m on my way to work, but there’s been a little bit of a hoo-ha. There’s a power outage at the studio, so my show won’t be on today. But you can still watch GMB.

“They’re going to fix it around 11 o’clockish. So, This Morning will still be on as well, just a bit later. It’s a bit of a shame. I was really looking forward to Sharleen Spiteri from Texas, but we shall reschedule, and it’ll all be fine. I will see you tomorrow!”

Although it was originally planned for This Morning to be delayed, it was subsequently replaced by best bits from past episodes of This Morning. Loose Women was also completely off air.

Fans were left fuming by the outage, and had hoped it would be fixed in time for both This Morning and Loose Women but that wasn’t the case. “Ahh, the gremlins have got in! #ThisMorning,” one fan wrote, as another added: “@itv all over the place today.. no #lorraine cutting #gmb off.”

The Mirror has approached ITV for comment.

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A primary school teacher revealed he even had his nipples removed and eyeballs tattooed

A primary school teacher has described the lengths he’s gone to in order to get more tattoos.

Sylvain Helaine has been working in classrooms in both the UK and his native France for nearly two decades. However, he has revealed that he began a new, unique journey in 2012, when he was 27.

Back then, he got his first tattoo. Now, aged 40, he is the most tattooed teacher. Sylvain made a special appearance on This Morning, in a tell-all chat with hosts Dermot O’Leary and Sian Welby.

The ITV presenters opened the segment by describing what comes to mind when they think of their own primary school teachers. Sylvain told them he was working in Britain when he saw someone with a full sleeve, which opened his eyes and led him to get an arm tattoo of his own.

He quickly became increasingly dedicated to getting more. Sylvain confessed that he always knew he wanted to be ‘fully covered’. Asked about how it has impacted his work, he told them: “During the first day [of school], because if I do something good, people will say, ‘Oh, obviously he’s the best, we were about to see that’. But if I do something a little bad, they will think that I’m awful because of my appearance.”

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As they asked about what kind of reactions Sylvain receives in his line of work, he revealed that he had previously said: “It always takes two minutes for children to accept me, two hours for the parents, and two days for grandparents. So it just takes a little bit of time.”

Sylvain went on to reveal that he doesn’t actually talk about his tattoos while at work. He revealed: “I don’t talk about my tattoos and my appearance at all when we are in the classroom. We just work, we take out our exercise book, write out the date, and it goes like that. I’m really serious. But if they have some questions to ask me, they can wait for the playground, for example.”

The teacher’s tattoo journey is far from over, however. He shared that he intends to go over some of his existing ink on most of his body again.

Sian pointed out that the whites of his eyes have also been completely covered with black ink. He also had his nipples and belly button removed.

His reason was to have a smoother skin surface. to make the tattooing process easier and get more. Other places he has been tattooed include his tongue, and underneath his nails on both his hands and feet.

However, when asked if he was ‘addicted’ to getting them, he shared that he actually can’t stand getting them and does not look forward to the next session. He explained: “I hate the pain. I hate getting tattooed.”

He continued: “I love evolving. I love seeing myself evolving. You suffer, and I really hate the pain and am counting the days to the next tattoo session. I’m really anxious. I don’t want to go, but at the end of the tattoo session, I’m really proud, and I feel invincible.”

This Morning continues tomorrow at 10.00am on ITV1 and ITVX.

TV PRESENTER Eamonn Holmes’s lover received death threats and felt ­suicidal after enduring two-and-a-half years of hell for “simply falling in love”, she has revealed.

Katie Alexander sobbed to a friend about her misery — ­saying she feels that the stress in her life, including Eamonn’s illness, has led to her suffering a breakdown.

Police are investigating malicious emails and letters delivered to her, including a threat sent to her home saying she would be decapitated.

Katie, 45, who has been in a ­relationship with the breakfast TV presenter, 66, since his split from Ruth Langsford in 2024, spoke to pals about her ongoing ordeal.

She told a friend: “I fell in love with a man who made me feel safe, who encouraged me to be myself, and who loved and accepted me for me.

“I was thrust into the limelight and suddenly blamed for everything that went wrong with Eamonn.

“I became the accused — and a talking point for the nation.

“I was advised to say nothing, even though I wanted to defend myself, to tell my truth. I decided to protect others before putting myself first. I was being judged simply for falling in love.

“I had death threats sent to my work email, and letters to my home address threatening to decapitate me. Not only was I trying to protect myself, I had to protect my children from online abuse, and from being picked on at school.

“It has been two-and-a-half years of pure hell. It became too much to endure. I reached the point where I thought the quickest way out of it all was to kill myself.

“I had a breakdown. It’s my ­children who have kept me alive.”

Katie, a trained counsellor from West Yorkshire, added to her pal: “I hold people’s emotions for a living.

“Knowing what was the truth in my own life — so different to what was being ­portrayed publicly — was torture. The attacks were very personal.

“People can’t fathom I like older men. I have a history of relationships with men older than me.

“People thought, ‘she must be with Eamonn for his money’. That’s such an untrue, one-dimensional reaction.

“I had a happy life before Eamonn, but suddenly being with him made me happy and content. I never asked for a penny, but he wanted to make sure that I was comfortable financially. He made sure I didn’t have to worry about money. It was his choice, his doing.

“I refused his generosity so many times. It even got to the point where I’d stop him paying £15.99 for a film on TV, making him wait until it became free to watch.

“Despite being so far apart geographically, we lived together half of the week. We made it work. He was — and still is — my partner. And when we were together we did everything together.

“I gave him a sense of worth. He became softer after years of antagonism. He spoke of his feelings in more depth. I told him that if he can’t communicate with me we can’t be together. It seemed alien to him to be able to have a conversation and not an argument, or shouting match, even if we disagreed.”

The Sun on Sunday previously told how Katie had to move her belongings out of Eamonn’s flat in Surrey. He has been in hospital since suffering a stroke in April.

Financial help has dried up, including repayments on a Mercedes car bought by Eamonn so Katie could travel to visit him.

A close friend of Katie added: “She’s had a breakdown with all the stress that has come with trying to keep a family together and juggling work, while trying to care for Eamonn in hospital 230 miles away. There is so much that has gone on which will come out one day, and everyone will learn the truth.

“It suits a lot of people that Katie be painted as the ‘Wicked Witch’. But the reality is so different.”

The pair started dating in May 2024 and within a few months Katie moved into Eamonn’s home.

Eamonn wed fellow former ITV This Morning host Ruth in 2010 but the pair have been going through a divorce since they split in 2024.

West Yorkshire Police confirmed a probe into “offensive” letters, but said “no suspect has been identified”. Katie was asked for comment.

The Pride of Britain Awards 2026 air on ITV1 and ITVX tonight, Thursday, October 22, from 8pm until 10.05pm. Carol Vorderman returns as host for the 27th year running alongside co-host Ashley Banjo.

The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards, in partnerhsip with P&O Cruises, returns to screens tonight to celebrate the nation’s most extraordinary, selfless unsung heroes.

While the glittering ceremony took place took place at London’s Grosvenor House earlier this week, viewers across the country will finally get the chance to experience every emotional standing ovation, surprise, and tear-jerking triumph from their living rooms this evening.

Established by late Mirror editor Peter Willis, the awards have become a cherished fixture in the national calendar, honouring everyday people who show astonishing bravery, tireless dedication, and boundless compassion. Key honours handed out tonight include the This Morning Local Hero Award, the Emergency Services Award, Child and Teenager of Courage, and the P&O Cruises Inspiration Award.

How to watch The Pride of Britain Awards on TV

The Pride of Britain Awards 2026 air tonight – Thursday, October 22 on ITV1 and ITVX from 8pm until 10.05pm.

This year’s ceremony from London’s Grosvenor House Hotel sees a star-studded line up including Jack Grealish, Davina McCall, PM Andy Burnham, and Alan Carr celebrating the nation’s unsung heroes.

Hosted by Carol Vorderman and Ashley Banjo, expect plenty of emotion and surprises along with inspirational stories of bravery, achievement and selflessness. Plus, stepping off their 25th Anniversary Tour for a special performance are boyband Blue.

Who is hosting The Pride of Britain Awards?

Telly legend Carol Vorderman, 65, has returned to front the ceremony for her 27th consecutive year, once again joined by co-host Ashley Banjo.

“Pride of Britain is needed now more than ever,” she told the Mirror. “We’re incredibly divided as a nation. And there are plenty of reasons to be miserable: the cost of living crisis, global uncertainty. But through it all, one thing unites us – and that is hope. And the goodness of people.”

Since the inaugural ceremony in 1999, royalty, prime ministers, worldwide icons and massive stars have flocked to celebrate the winners, including King Charles III and Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Diana Ross, Sir Paul McCartney, Sharon Stone, Harry Styles, Janet Jackson, David Beckham, Taylor Swift, Anthony Joshua, Sir Mo Farah and Ant and Dec..

TELLY host Eamonn Holmes’s ­girlfriend Katie Alexander says she’s had a “love” call from the star, who is still in hospital following a stroke.

It comes after we revealed she had moved out of his flat earlier this month.

Katie posted a video last week as she went for a stroll along a marina in a vest top, shades and headphones, adding a message: “When your man phones you to tell you he loves you.”

Tanned and relaxed Katie, 45, filming herself using a selfie stick, added the hashtags “you and me”, “meandE” — a ­reference to Eamonn — and “Lovewins”, with a heart emoji.

She also posted other selfie snaps from her sunshine break.

She wrote: “There is a quiet kind of strength in becoming comfortable with who you are.

Read More on Eamonn Holmes

RUTH’S PAIN

Ruth Langsford heartbroken as dog she shared with ex Eamonn Holmes dies

‘choosing peace’

Eamonn Holmes’ girlfriend posts about ‘knowing her worth’ after moving out

“No longer needing to prove, explain or seek validation — just choosing peace, protecting your energy and finding beauty in the life you’re creating.”

The £1.3million Surrey flat where they were living has now gone on the rental market.

The pair began dating in 2024 before Katie started staying at Eamonn’s home.

We revealed in April that Eamonn, 66, was found at his flat by a carer after a stroke.

He was previously wed to TV host Ruth Langsford, his former co-presenter on ITV1’s This Morning.

Janette Manrara spoke about her husband becoming the latest person to get eliminated from the BBC show.

Aljaž Škorjanec and Melanie Walters were the latest couple to get eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing.

Now former professional dancer on the BBC show, Janette Manrara, has shared how her husband Aljaz is feeling after he wasn’t saved by the judges during Sunday’s results show (October 11) with his celebrity partner Melanie Walters.

While she appeared on This Morning to speak with Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley about her role in a new play, the 42-year-old discussed balancing motherhood alongside her demanding career, particularly while Aljaz features on the BBC programme. The couple are parents to three-year-old daughter Lyra.

After praising their family and support network, she said of combining work and home life: “As long as you plan, if you’ve got a plan and you need the village. Between the two things, you can make it work. Aljaz has no clue, by the way, he just says, ‘Where is she today and who’s got her?'”

She continued: “He’s an amazing dad. At the moment, obviously, he’s left the competition now with Melanie (Walters). He’s sad about leaving the show, but he’s also super happy because he’s going to spend so much time with her (Lyra) now, which is nice.”

Although Aljaz is no longer in the running to lift the Glitterball trophy, he’ll still appear in the professional group dances. Elsewhere, Janette spoke candidly about her feelings upon missing out on the presenting role on the BBC show, reports Wales Online.

When veteran hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman departed from their positions on the BBC programme, speculation was running wild about who might step into their shoes.

While many had tipped Janette as a frontrunner — having previously been a professional dancer on the show before leaving to front spin-off programme It Takes Two — it emerged that she had auditioned for the role but was unsuccessful. The presenting duties ultimately went to Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe.

Ben noted that Janette had previously been forthright about feeling ‘heartbroken’ at being overlooked for the role. She responded: “Yeah, I’ve talked about it on Jamie Laing’s podcast, it was (tough) because Strictly was such a huge part of my life, I was there for almost 14 years.

“Aljaz is still in the show, so I just hoped that it would go in that way for me. But, it didn’t, and that’s ok because I think life finds a way of still giving you that magic that is needed for you. I really wanted to act. I had been working on my acting skills for the last couple of years, actually.”

She continued: “Then, I did Roxie Hart in Chicago on tour, and I got the bug for serious acting, so I really started to push that narrative. I think life has a funny way of closing one door and opening another, and that’s exactly what happened.

“Now I watch Strictly and watch Aljaz and everybody on the show, and I’m just buzzing for them. I’ve been there, and I know how exciting that feeling is.”

This Morning continues weekdays on ITV from 10am. Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturdays on October 17 from 6:15pm.

The parents of Leah Croucher spoke to This Morning hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard on Tuesday

Leah Croucher’s dad has made a heartbreaking admission.

The disappearance of the 19-year-old became one of Britain’s highest-profile missing person cases, after she vanished on her way to work in Milton Keynes on February 15, 2019. Leah’s body was eventually found more than three years later, just minutes from where she was last seen.

However, while the family were desperately searching for answers, they were wrongly targeted by online sleuths, and accused of being involved in her death. Leah’s parents, John and Claire, have now chosen to tell their story in a new documentary that shares the devastating impact that the case has had on their lives.

Ahead of the documentary airing tonight (Tuesday, October 13) at 9pm on U&W, John and Claire appeared on the This Morning sofa, where they spoke to hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard about the ordeal they’ve faced. During the interview, John spoke about his son, Haydon, who struggled to cope in the aftermath of his sister’s disappearance.

Haydon was Leah’s half-brother, who took his own life in November 2019 – nine months after Leah’s disappearance. On today’s This Morning, Cat Deeley said: “The other person it hit really hard was Haydon. When all the investigations started happening, he handed out leaflets, he tried his very, very best, but it affected him mentally in the end, didn’t it?”

John then explained how close Haydon was to his sister, Leah. “He just couldn’t cope. It destroyed him mentally, and the people played with him online. They tormented him, and it was just horrific to watch. There was no getting through to Haydon to try and calm him down.

“He suffered from bipolar, which made him worse, [and] paranoia. He was getting so angry, and I had to step back for Claire’s sake, for my own sake, to try and find Leah. It was like, ‘Haydon, you’re going to have to go and get help, [your] mum’s going to have to help you.'”

He went on: “Because his mother’s also a victim in all of this, which people forget. They all look at me and Claire, but Haydon has a mother. She’s suffering. How do you console a mother who has to read this evil stuff online about her son.”

Ben Shephard then said: “Tragically, it was too much for Haydon in the end as well, wasn’t it? So, you lost Leah and you lost Haydon. At that stage, you still didn’t know what had happened to Leah.”

Speaking about his daughter’s funeral, John later shared: “We had months to plan Leah’s funeral. If you lose a loved one, it’s days to weeks. Ours was months because of forensic tests that had to be done on Leah.

“We couldn’t dress Leah like you would dress your loved one. We’re never going to be able to give her a wedding, we’re never going to be able to do the normal things a family could do. So, I said to Claire, because Claire was so upset, ‘We can’t dress her, so let’s dress her coffin. Let’s make this the biggest thing we can ever do for her. Our princess. Let’s give her a princess funeral.’ And that’s what we did.”

Mourners lined the streets for Leah’s funeral back in 2023, which Claire said was “heartwarming”. She added: “It was crazy how many people came to pay their respects.”

This Morning airs weekdays on ITV at 10am, while The Search for Leah Croucher: A Parent’s Nightmare will air on Tuesday (October 13) and Wednesday (October 14) at 9pm on U&W

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