Martin Frizell has stepped down from his role as editor of ITV’s This Morning after ten years.
He joined the channel in 2014 as editor of Loose Women before taking over the popular programme, which until last year was hosted by Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. He will leave the show in spring 2025, and ITV have said his replacement will be announced in due course.
The news comes after Frizell’s wife and former ITV presenter Fiona Phillips revealed she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in July 2023. The couple have been married since 1997 and share two children together.
Frizell confirmed his departure was linked to his responsibilities at home as he said: “Next year, I’m expecting my family priorities to change so I need to free up time for them.
“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.”
He thanked the team he worked with as he said, “It’s been a privilege to lead truly great presenters and producers, between us we’ve turned out more than six thousand hours of live topical telly, that’s around 20,000 items and the gongs are always nice.”
Under his leadership the show won numerous awards including a Bafta and seven National Television Awards. It reached over 20 million viewers in 2024.
He listed campaigns covering suicide, menopause, and testicular cancer, as the work he was most proud of.
“This juggernaut is the toughest test for any broadcast journalist,” he said.
Kevin Lygo, ITV’s managing director for media and entertainment, said: “This Morning is an iconic show in ITV’s schedule, and heading the team for a decade, producing more than ten hours of original, topical, live television every week is an amazing achievement.
“As a programme and a brand, Martin has made sure the show continues to be a household name, an award-winning staple of the schedule with a growing successful presence in digital and social.
“On behalf of the ITV Network, we thank Martin and wish him the very best for his future ventures.”
