NEWS
JOSIE & RYLAN TAKE CONTROL
Josie Gibson and best pal Rylan Clark are rumoured to be making plans to become the new king and queen of TV
They enjoyed a night out on the town together last weekend as they joined their fellow TV stars for the Saturday Night Takeaway finale after-party.
And insiders say former This Morning co-hosts and close pals, Rylan Clark and Josie Gibson – who were snapped in high spirits leaving the bash together – have been in secret talks about partnering-up for a new show after being snubbed for the permanent hosting roles on ITV’s flagship show.
GOOD CHEMISTRY
A source says, “It’s no secret that Josie and Rylan both felt a little hurt by ITV, and given they’re such good mates and love working together, they’ve been in talks about joining forces for a new project in the hope of becoming the next big TV power couple.
“They always got a huge amount of great feedback when they hosted This Morning together and they have an incredible chemistry, both on and off screen, which has been picked up on by TV bosses who think they have the potential to be the new Richard and Judy.”
Earlier this year, Closer revealed how 39-year-old Josie – who’d been guest-presenting on the show since 2019 – was left feeling blindsided by the decision to hire Cat Deeley, 47, as Holly Willoughby’s permanent replacement.
The news came after the mum-of-one – whose hugely successful stint in the I’m A Celeb! jungle last year made her a front-runner for the highly coveted gig – posted a series of cryptic quotes on her Instagram stories about “drama” and “disrespect”.
Meanwhile, 35-year-old Rylan – who guest-hosted the show since shooting to fame on The X Factor in 2013 – was hotly-tipped to replace Phillip Schofield, 62, following his shock departure last May after admitting to an affair with a younger male colleague.
The source says, “When they were approached about an exciting project, Josie and Rylan had already been plotting new show ideas they were ready to pitch, so they felt as if it was fate and were both immediately keen to enter talks.
“This time around, they’ve both agreed that they want to be more in control of the next show they do – taking on executive producer roles so they can be hands-on in helping to create their next project and be able to put their own stamp on it together.”
JOINING FORCES
The pair have fostered a close friendship over the years, with the singletons even vowing to marry one another during an episode of This Morning in December, after Josie admitted to having a crush on her gay co-star weeks earlier in the jungle.
Last week, the fo
