Adrian Chiles' curt farewell as he and Miss Bleakley exit Daybreak with little fanfare

'I'm off to concentrate on the football and Christine has been put on ice': Adrian Chiles' curt farewell as he and Miss Bleakley exit Daybreak with little fanfare

By Sarah Bull

Last updated at 12:37 PM on 5th December 2011


They were left humiliated earlier this month when it was announced they would be leaving failing ITV show Daybreak a month early.

And it seems there was no love lost between Christine Bleakley, Adrian Chiles and the morning programme as the duo left the series this morning with virtually no fanfare.

With just a minute to go before the end of the show, the pair bid farewell to their viewers with a short goodbye message.

Exit: Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley clutch bouquets following their final show on Daybreak

From the beginning, to the end: The pair on their first Daybreak show last year, and on their farewell show today

Chiles said: 'As you may or may not know, this is our last show. As a leaving present, I'm taking my funny animal clips clipboard with me!

'We'd just like to say thanks a million to the rest of the on-air team. Dan, Kate, Dr Hilary, Sue, Cordelia, Gav, Richard, showbiz Steve, Phil, Lucy, Tasmin, all of you.'

Bleakley added: 'And especially to all of our production staff who work far harder than any of us here as well. That is just about it from us, good luck and have a great Christmas. Bye bye.'

Referring to Bleakley being signed up as the new presenter of Dancing On Ice, Chiles then added: 'I'm off to concentrate on the football and Christine's been put on ice in the New Year, in the best possible way.'

Was that it? With just a minute to go before the end of the show, Christine Bleakley and Adrian Chiles bid farewell to Daybreak viewers on their final programme

Still smiling: Chiles joked that he would take his 'funny animal clips' clipboard with him as Bleakley laughed

The pair's exit from the show was confirmed in November after the show had struggled to improve on the audience for its predecessor GMTV. It was widely thought that the audience failed to warm to the two hosts, who launched the show last year.

Smiling through: Bleakley appeared in good spirits as she left the studios after the show

But 32-year-old Bleakley, who is engaged to Chelsea footballer Frank Lampard, said she had discovered the silver lining of being dismissed from the show, saying she is relishing the prospect of enjoying her evenings again, instead of going to bed early.

She said: 'I won't miss the 3am starts, I'm going to be honest with you. Or going to bed early either - probably that even more than getting up!

'It will be nice to let my hair down a bit more and enjoy life more now that time schedules will be different and I don't have to get up at 3am midweek. So I might start going out more midweek and enjoy my evenings again.'

Another silver lining of her departure is that Bleakley will receive a generous payout of £283,000 to help soften the blow

ITV have said that both presenters will focus on other 'peak-time commitments' on the channel.

Chiles's priority will be his role as anchor for live football coverage, FA Cup action, England internationals and the Uefa Champions League. His series That Sunday Night Show will also return for a third run next year.

Their departure will be seen as a huge embarrassment for all concerned after the pair left BBC1's One Show in the summer of last year in what was seen at the time to be a huge coup for ITV.

The pair had won plaudits for their on-screen chemistry on The One Show and it was hoped they would recreate the magic in their new roles.

The new presenters of Daybreak have yet to be announced, however Natasha Kaplinsky and Eamonn Holmes have emerged as frontrunners to take up the vacant roles.

Friends forever: Bleakley and Chiles, who appeared to be unaware he had his flies unddone, will no doubt remain friends following the Daybreak debacle

Bittersweet: After the show, Bleakley and Chiles headed to the pub for a drink with Daybreak's Kate Garraway and Dan Lobb

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2070103/Daybreak-Christine-Bleakley-Adrian-Chiles-exit-little-fanfare.html#ixzz1fgvquVil

Is BBC Breakfast's Sian Williams next in line for Daybreak sofa?

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 6:09 PM on 22nd November 2011

She has co-hosted the BBC Breakfast programme for the last six years.

But Sian Williams could soon be sitting on ITV's Daybreak sofa if the station's executives have their way.

Ms Williams, who will be 47 next Monday, has been approached by the BBC's biggest rivals to take over from Christine Bleakly, it has been reported.

Ms Bleakley, and current Daybreak co-presenter Adrian Chiles, are leaving the show due to poor ratings.

From Breakfast to Daybreak? BBC presenter Sian Williams has been reportedly approached by rivals ITV to take over from axed Christine Bleakly

ITV bosses were said to have targeted Ms Williams because of her success in anchoring the BBC breakfast programme.

She is also said to be unhappy about relocating to Manchester and the BBC's Salford centre.


If Ms Williams took up the offer and switched channel, she could expect a far higher salary at ITV - despite the economic downturn.

Chiles and Bleakley together netted £2.8million-a-year when they first joined the Daybreak last year.

On the red sofa: Ms Williams has presented BBC Breakfast for six years, first alongside Dermot Murnaghan and now with Bill Turnbull, left

Ms Williams, who has three sons and a daughter, has been a fixture of BBC Breakfast since 2005.

She presented first alongside Dermot Murnaghan before Bill Turnbull stepped into the role.

It would be a major coup if ITV were successful in luring Ms Williams away.

Brave face: Current Daybreak presenters Adrian Chiles, left, and Christine Bleakley, right, are leaving the show due to poor ratings

Wake up! Chiles and Bleakley were both poached from the BBC's One Show last year to present the now ailing breakfast programme

Viewing figures for Daybreak fell to 700,000 under Chiles and Bleakley, while BBC Breakfast currently attracts more than 1.5 million viewers.

One of Ms Williams' colleague said: 'ITV want someone who is equally at home grilling major figures as well as handling the more trivial topics that light up the early morning viewing.

'They believe they may be able to tempt her to join them because her life revolves around London and the BBC programme team is due to move to Salford in the not too distant future.'

A spokesman for BBC Breakfast said: 'This is a personal matter for her.'

Meanwhile Eamonn Holmes has fuelled rumours he could be set to take over from Childs on the Daybreak show.

The TV presenter, 51, admitted he'd like to be considered.

Chiles and Bleakley 'axed from Daybreak' as breakfast show is a ratings flop

• Bleakley to replace Holly Willoughby on Dancing On Ice

By Paul Revoir

Last updated at 1:51 PM on 19th November 2011


Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley have been axed from ITV breakfast show Daybreak, it was reported last night.

The pair, who were heralded as the stars of morning TV when they defected from the BBC last year on £1million-a-year deals, are set to leave ‘within weeks’, it is understood.

Their appearance on Daybreak has failed to capture the public’s imagination.

Christine Bleakley and Adrian Chiles joined ITV in a blaze of publicity last year on £1 million-a-year deals

The programme has struggled to get ratings beyond 700,000 viewers – fewer than its predecessor GMTV.

The move comes after the show recently appointed a new editor and as channel bosses plan for a major revamp in the new year.


It is understood that both Bleakley, 32, who is engaged to footballer Frank Lampard, and Chiles, 44, have been told of the decision. Last night ITV refused to deny the claims that the pair would be leaving the show, which had a £15million launch last September.

A senior source at the commercial broadcaster said: ‘Do we want to be running a show where we are happy being No 2? No, we don’t.’

Christine Bleakley's WAG lifestyle was unpopular with viewers

Adrian Chiles will continue to present ITV's football coverage

Daybreak gets about half the number of viewers as its rival, BBC Breakfast.

Another source said: ‘They ran out of time. The advertising numbers had fallen off a cliff because Adrian and Christine were such a turn-off. In today’s climate, that was unacceptable.’

It is not known whether ITV will opt for big names or unknowns as replacement presenters.

According to the report, Chiles, who is also the broadcaster’s main presenter for its football coverage, had accepted that he had been dropped from the show.

Axed: It is understood the presenting pair have been informed of the decision they would both be leaving the show

But co-host Miss Bleakley, whose WAG lifestyle was said to have been a turn-off for viewers, is reportedly asking for it to be presented as if she is leaving for new projects.

It comes as ITV announced that Miss Bleakley would replace Holly Willoughby in co-presenting Dancing On Ice with Phillip Schofield, after the This Morning host signed up to present the BBC’s new singing talent show, The Voice.

Bleakley, seen here with footballer fiancee Frank Lampard, will replace Holly Willoughby as presenter of Dancing On Ice in January

It is hoped a new role for Miss Bleakley will give her a chance to reinvent herself and prove she is a valuable member of ITV’s stable of talent.

ITV bosses have hired former BBC Breakfast editor David Kermode to be the show’s new editor, and it is expected other staff will lose their jobs.

No laughing matter: Daybreak only gets around half the viewers of its breakfast rival on BBC

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2063511/Daybreak-ratings-flop-Adrian-Chiles-Christine-Bleakley-axed-ITV-breakfast-show.html#ixzz1eAwHjRU2