Christine Bleakley And Adrian Chiles Officially Sacked By Itv
After days of speculation, Itv bosses finally confirmed on Friday (25 November, 2011) that Christine Bleakley and Adrian Chiles will be leaving their posts on breakfast show Daybreak in the near future, reports the UK's Daily Mirror.
Last week, the UK's Daily Mirror revealed that the pair were due to be axed from the show after poor ratings figures. Chiles reacted angrily to the report and blasted those responsible for leaking the details, though Itv have now released a statement saying the pair will step down from their regular presenting roles later this year. It states the duo are to focus on other "peak-time commitments" on the channel - which is certainly true in Christine's case, she is replacing Holly Willoughby on reality show Dancing on Ice. Although details of Chiles future projects are unclear, Itv said he would "prioritise his role as the anchor of Itv's extensive live football coverage". The axing is regarded as huge embarrassment for all concerned after the pair left lucrative jobs on Bbc1's One Show in the summer in what was regarded as a huge coup for Itv.
Daybreak has been nowhere near as popular as its predecessor Gmtv and has drawn a daily average of just 800,000 viewers for the past three weeks. Interestingly, Itv appear to be sticking with the programme and simply replacing Bleakley and Chiles with new presenters, set to be announced soon.
