ITV's flagship daytime show This Morning witnessed a decidedly cheeky debut on Friday, as new host Angela Scanlon left viewers open-mouthed with a risqué introduction.
A Week of Stand-Ins and Surprises
The incident occurred during a week of presenter reshuffles. Emma Willis was forced to pull out at the last minute due to illness, leading to a rotating panel of co-hosts alongside regular Friday presenter Dermot O'Leary. Josie Gibson and Christine Lampard had already stepped in earlier in the week.
On Friday, it was the turn of Your Home Made Perfect star Angela Scanlon, 41, to make her first appearance on the famous sofa. After a friendly hug with O'Leary, the pair began joking about her ITV debut.
The Moment That Sparked a Reaction
Following O'Leary's formal introduction, Scanlon expressed her delight at joining the show, but with a very bold choice of words. "I'm so happy to be popping my This Morning cherry with you, Dermot," she declared.
The remark prompted audible laughter from the crew off-camera. O'Leary, 52, quickly clarified, "Just the This Morning cherry, everyone, that's all," in an attempt to steer the conversation back to safer ground.
Viewers watching at home immediately took to social media platform X to react. One user asked, "Did she say popping her cherry with Dermot?" while another commented, "Call me old fashioned!" A third observer noted that fellow presenter Gyles Brandreth appeared to raise an eyebrow at the suggestive euphemism.
Another Unusual Week on the Sofa
Scanlon's eyebrow-raising comment wasn't the only unexpected moment from the show's hosts this week. On Wednesday, Dermot O'Leary bit co-host Christine Lampard on the shoulder live on air during a segment about Christmas shopping stress.
The bite occurred as the camera panned away and then back to the presenters. Lampard, 46, brushed off the incident, joking, "I know, it's stressful," as a stress ball was demonstrated on screen.
The week began with the announcement of Emma Willis's absence. O'Leary and Josie Gibson sent their well-wishes on Monday's show, revealing her primary school was also affected. Willis, who has been a fan favourite during previous guest hosting stints, was previously the bookies' favourite to take a permanent role following Holly Willoughby's departure, with odds of 11/10 according to Ladbrokes.
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX.
