Who’ll be top of the Morning?

Kym’s BBC show to challenge Lorraine

KYM Marsh and Gethin Jones are to go head-to-head with ITV’s Lorraine Kelly as BBC1 tries to copy the success of The One Show in the mornings.

Former Corrie star Kym and BBC regular Gethin will front Morning Live from next month, a daily show which aims to be “a lively and entertaining mix of topical content and expert advice”.

The 45-minute show will air from 9.15am, pitching it directly against Lorraine, which sits between Good Morning Britain which ends at

9am and This Morning, which starts at 10am.

It is commissioned to run for 40 episodes, taking viewers up to Christmas, with a view to extending into 2021.

In recent years BBC bosses have crammed the daytime slot directly after Breakfast full of factual offerings including Rip Off Britain.

But now they have decided to take on ITV on its home turf with a live studio show – and are hoping to do better than Channel 4’s foray into territory, where Steph McGovern’s lunchtime programme has struggled against the ever-popular Loose Women.

Kym, 44, quit Coronation Street last year to “explore other roles” after 13 years playing Weatherfield’s Michelle Connor.

The former singer, who rose to fame on Popstars with the band Hear’Say in 2001, said: “I’ve always enjoyed morning TV, it’s a great way to start the day. I love nothing more than a good catch up, although this will be on a slightly different scale, more of a daily conversation with our viewers.”

Gethin, 42, said he was thrilled to land the gig, having regularly co-hosted The One Show. “A presenting role on a morning show like this is a bit of a dream for me,” the Welshman admitted. “What I’m most excited about is the opportunity to delve in to some of the biggest issues at the heart of our everyday lives.”

Morning Live, made by the team behind The One Show at BBC Studios, is the brainchild of BBC daytime boss Carla-Maria Lawson.

She explained: “Morning Live is a response to what viewers have told us about the importance of our live offerings over lockdown, connecting with their concerns and offering trustworthy, advice as well as optimism and entertainment.”

I’m excited to delve into the biggest issues at the heart of our lives

GETHIN JONES CO-HOST OF BBC’S MORNING LIVE