Cat Deeley is reportedly in line to replace boyfriend Ant McPartlin in the latest series of Britain’s Got Talent, should his wife Anne-Marie Corbett go into labour.
The presenter, 48, will become a father for the first time in June, coinciding with the competition’s live shows following last year’s final which aired on June 4.
Now according to The sun ITV is putting a consistency plan in place in case the Geordie is forced to run and leave sidekick Declan Donnelly’s side.
According to the publication, new This Morning presenter Cat, 47, could be called up as a guest presenter, with Stephen Mulhern’s name also in the mix.
A source said: ‘The timing is a headache for bosses.
Cat Deeley, 48, is reportedly in line to replace boyfriend Ant McPartlin in the latest series of Britain’s Got Talent should his wife Anne-Marie Corbett go into labor
The presenter will become a father for the first time in June, to coincide with the competition’s live shows (Ant and Anne-Marie pictured in February)
‘They are considering whether Dec would present alone if Anne-Marie were to give birth, or whether, time permitting, a guest presenter could step in. Cat and Stephen, who the boys have worked with in the past, are frontrunners.’
Cat hosted SMTV with Ant and Dec from 1998 to 2001, while Stephen regularly appears with the duo on Saturday Night Live.
MailOnline has contacted ITV for comment.
Last month, Ant broke his silence about first-time fatherhood in a candid interview, when he spoke about taking a break from hosting Saturday Night Takeaway.
Ant opened up about the real reasons for the show’s hiatus in an interview Wrong magazine when he publicly addressed his wife’s pregnancy for the first time.
He said: “We (he and Declan Donnelly) both have children that we need to spend time with for a while.
“We need time to think and time to step back and look at the bigger picture and see where we are today.”
Ant will become a father for the first time in June. It will be Ant’s first while Anne-Marie has two children from her previous marriage.
According to reports, ITV is now putting a consistency plan in place should Ant (L) be forced to run and leave sidekick Declan Donnelly’s (R) side (pictured together on the show in 2023)
Cat presented SMTV with Ant and Dec from 1998-2001 (pictured on the show in 1999)
Meanwhile, Dec shares two children: Isla, five, and Jack, one, with wife Ali Astall.
Rumors previously swirled in December that Anne-Marie was expecting their first child, after she turned out to be several months pregnant when she returned from a trip to Dubai.
According to The sun Ant had already confided the great news to Dec after weeks of speculation, with a source telling the publication: “This is the news everyone wanted. Ant and Anne-Marie are extremely delighted.’
‘It’s no secret that Ant has always wanted children, but the fact that it might never happen for him was something he had unfortunately come to terms with.’
They went on to describe Ant as a ‘wonderful, loving father’ to Anne-Marie’s children and said the couple did everything they could to keep the news a secret for as long as possible.
Adding: ‘To have a child two years before his 50th birthday, with the love of his life, is a dream for Ant.’
In December there were rumors that Anne-Mari was expecting their first child (seen at their wedding)
Ant has always been open about his desire to become a father.
In 2013, he revealed his and ex-wife Lisa Armstrong’s struggles, saying: ‘There’s a rumor going around that I’m waiting to have children until Dec finds himself Mrs Right.
‘I like that idea, but I’m afraid it’s not true. Lisa and I really want children. Tried. When you get older, it’s harder than you think.’
The TV star credits his wife, who he married in 2021 in a lavish £500,000 wedding, for helping him overcome his alcohol and prescription drug addiction.