ITV have hit back at claims This Morning bosses are eyeing up golden couple Tess Daly and Vernon Kay in a bid to boost the show's ratings. 

The broadcaster has thrown its support behind main presenters Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard as well as Friday hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary. 

Married couple Tess, 56, and Vernon, 51, were rumoured to be become ITV's 'next Richard & Judy' following their one-off stint co-hosting the One Show last month.

After stepping down from Strictly last year, Tess and her husband received a warm response from viewers as they reunited onscreen for the first time in 21 years.

But now an ITV spokesperson has told Daily Mail: 'We are very happy with Cat, Ben, Alison, and Dermot as This Morning's lead presenters and there are no plans for that to change. 

'2026 has got off to a great start for the show with viewing up year on year and a weekly reach of 3.7 million viewers.'

Tess and Vernon's last major joint presenting role before this was on the BBC singing competition Just the Two of Us, which they co-hosted between 2006 and 2007.

The episode was thought to have sparked the interest of ITV as their natural chemistry was evident with a source previously telling The Sun: 'It was a total no-brainer the second they saw them on The One Show sofa.

'Execs have been sweet on Vernon for ages, but the pair's natural husband-and-wife banter made them realise exactly what This Morning has been missing.

'They are obsessed with finding the next Richard and Judy, and Tess and Vernon have that exact same effortless magic. Audiences are notoriously tough on new faces, but they completely fell in love with their northern charm.

The married couple presented The One Show as they stood in for Alex Jones and Roman Kemp, who were busy filming the BBC's story-telling competition, 500 words, at Windsor Castle. 

They were joined in the studio by Hollywood stars Jessie Buckley and Maggie Gyllenhaal, plus Bridgerton stars Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha on the show.

Tess received a warm response from fans, who told her: 'It was so lovely to see you on the TV Tess. I let out an 'ahhhh' when I saw you with your lovely hubby';

'You did great tess, hope you'll be on again soon' and 'A brilliant line up and you were so relaxed be lovely to see you again.',

'You and Vern presenting together is everything. Loved it'. 

Tess and Vernon met when they were both working as up-and-coming presenters in separate shows on some of the country's biggest TV channels.

At the time, Vernon was a host on Channel 4's T4, and Tess presented SMTV on ITV on a Saturday morning.

The couple began dating shortly after meeting on T4, and went on to become one of TV's best-known couples.

Both Tess and Vernon's careers went from strength to strength, with the couple even presenting the BBC singing competition Just The Two Of Us together between 2006 and 2007.

Tess previously told Digital Spy of their relationship: 'It was all quite immediate, really, because we instantly had such a blast together.

'I couldn't imagine having more fun with anyone else. It was pretty explosive, I tell you.'

She explained that a long-term relationship changes over time, saying: 'You keep the fire burning, you keep stoking that fire.'

Tess added that her husband has grown up in recent years, Tess said: 'I guess he is the same, but more mature. You know what men are like, they never really grow up, do they? Do they ever catch us up mentally? I don't think so.'

Two years after meeting, they tied the knot in 2003 at St Mary's Church in Horwich, Vernon's hometown.

According to Hello!, the couple hosted their reception at the nearby Rivington Hall Barn.

Vernon said he was 'over the moon' at his low-key wedding, after the couple decided to ditch holding a high-profile celebrity bash.

Instead, some carefully considered celebrity guests at the wedding included Big Brother winner Brian Dowling and T4 presenter June Sarpong.

DJ Brandon Block was also on hand to provide entertainment at the reception party.

Tess and Vernon have two children together, Phoebe Elizabeth, 21 and Amber Isabella Kay, 16.