This Morning fans hail Paddy McGuinness and Alison Hammond the ‘best pairing’ while others slam the duo as he hosts the show after a string of his BBC gigs were cancelled

This morning fans were divided as Paddy McGuinness co-hosted the show with Alison Hammond on Thursday.

The comedian, 50, replaced Dermot O’Leary more than a decade after he first presented the ITV programme.

His appearance comes after a string of his BBC appearances were cancelled, including Top Gear and A Question Of Sport, with the presenter admitting he has ‘run out of money’.

When watching the show, some viewers called Alison and Paddy ‘the best combination’, while others claimed they were ‘the worst’ combination.

One person shared their thoughts with

Another said: ‘Simply the best combination Paddy and Alison’

A third person wondered: ‘May I suggest that Paddy McGuinness would be a good choice as the main presenter of the programme?’

‘Paddy has brought joy to my morning. He would be a great addition to the show! I’d rather see him with Cat!!!’ someone else agreed.

But not all viewers were so enthusiastic, with one fan writing: ‘Paddy McGuinness this morning! You really have no idea ITV #ThisMorning. Who on earth did you think would like Paddy McGuinness!’

‘Oh no, Alison and Paddy are just the worst,’ another agreed.

Hitting back, someone else replied: ‘Reading all the negativity and nastiness is exhausting. For example, I enjoy Paddy’s presentation, I love Alison, and of course the puppy is beautiful. Tired of the moaners. If you don’t like it, turn it around or turn it off.’

Paddy’s appearance comes as Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard have been unveiled as the new presenters of This Morning.

The pair, aged 47 and 49 respectively, have been in talks for several months following the departure of Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield and are now set to make their debut next month.

Her role on the show will see the star reportedly lose her old role on So You Think You Can Dance in the US where she was reportedly paid £43,000 per episode – instead opting for the role on This Morning with a reported £ 550,000. annual salary.

It was claimed that Cat had finally been won over with a more lucrative deal, but insiders at ITV denied these claims, insisting that it was the opportunity to spend more time with family, on a big-money payday, that ultimately sealed the deal.

The news was confirmed via a bespoke promo on This Morning’s Twitter, which saw Ben walk down the familiar This Morning production corridor and post a new photo of Cat on the wall, before turning to the camera as the photo came to life.

It comes after Paddy admitted he’s ‘run out of money’ as he reveals he plans to return to stand-up comedy for the first time in six years.

The presenter made the tour announcement following news that the show he co-presented, Top Gear, was axed following Freddie Flintoff’s crash.

Paddy admitted he has spent a good chunk of his money and plans to ‘build it back up’ by getting back on the comedy circuit.

The comedian shared the revelation during an appearance on This Morning on Wednesday with Emma Willis and Rylan Clark.

When asked why he chose the tour, Paddy said: “Um, the money’s gone now, so it took about eight years to spend it all and I thought, ‘I’ve got to build it back up.’

‘Strangely enough, writing a tour takes a lot of time. When we had the break from Top Gear, I had been planning it for a long time, I said: ‘There’s a window there’.”

Paddy announced the news of his tour on his Instagram page earlier this week, telling fans: ‘I’ve been dying to tell you!

‘After a six year break I’m finally back on tour!!! Paddy McGuinness – Almost there. All pre-ticket sales links in my Bio. See you in the new year… live!!!!’

Last month, Paddy thanked fans ‘for the love’ after the BBC said the hit series will be off air for the ‘foreseeable future’.

His farewell message came amid fears that the program’s insurance costs have become unsustainable following Flintoff’s crash.

Production on the show has been halted since presenter Flintoff, 45, was taken to hospital in December 2022 after being seriously injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey.

Following the crash, the BBC announced it would pause production of the show, which was co-hosted by Take Me Out presenter Paddy McGuinness and motoring journalist Chris Harris, as it was felt it would be ‘inappropriate’. safety assessment.

And following the BBC’s announcement to ax the show for the foreseeable future, Paddy posted a photo gallery on Instagram, starting with a photo of the trio in white Top Gear outfits.

He wrote the caption: ‘We would always be b*****s but we were your b*****s.

“Thanks for all the love over the years folks, it was much appreciated.”

Fans wished them all the best and said they would be missed.