Martin Frizell, the long-serving editor of ITV’s This Morning, has announced he will step down from his role in spring 2025 after a decade at the helm.
The 65-year-old television veteran revealed his decision to leave is driven by the need to support his wife, former GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2022.
“Next year I’m expecting my family priorities to change so I need to free up time for them,” Frizell said in a statement.
An ITV source explained that the demanding nature of the role was becoming incompatible with his family commitments.
“It is the 24/7 nature of the role which isn’t conducive to Fiona’s illness and next year he thinks that he is going to have to be around so much more for her,” they said.
“I love my team at ITV and will miss them and the thrill of live telly but it’s an always-on, 24 hours a day, seven days a week commitment and I won’t be able to do both,” Frizell continued in his statement.
The announcement came as a “real shock” to the This Morning team, according to sources speaking to the Daily Express.
Staff were informed of his departure through an email, where Frizell wrote: “This will be my last Christmas at a programme that I have loved working on and the best bit was working with you.”
His replacement has yet to be announced, though ITV said they will make an announcement “in due course.”
According to the Metro, current Associate Editor Vivek Sharma is “heavily tipped” to take over the role, which comes with a £155,000 salary.
During his decade-long tenure, Frizell oversaw more than 6,000 hours of live television and approximately 20,000 individual segments.
“I’m most proud of the change we made to so many lives, even saving a fair few with our campaigns on anti-suicide, menopause, testicular cancer and ‘how-to’ items,” he reflected.
Under his leadership, This Morning secured numerous accolades, including a BAFTA and seven National Television Awards.
The show has also achieved significant digital success, with Emma Gormley, Managing Director of ITV Studios Daytime, noting it had reached “an amazing 1 billion views across this year alone.”
“Martin has brought so much success to This Morning over the last decade which has seen an evolving landscape of changing and diversifying viewing habits,” Gormley added.
Frizell’s departure follows a turbulent period for This Morning, which saw the exit of its two main presenters in 2023.
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Phillip Schofield resigned after admitting to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger colleague.
Holly Willoughby later departed the show after being informed by police of a plot against her life.
The programme faced additional controversy when former presenter Dr Ranj Singh alleged a “toxic work culture,” though an external review by ITV found “no evidence of bullying or discrimination.”
Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley have since taken over as main presenters, though a source told The Sun their chemistry “hasn’t replicated that of Holly and Phillip in their prime.”
The show has also struggled with ratings and missed out on the Best Daytime category at the National Television Awards for the past two years.
