Craig Doyle and Dermot O'Leary split image on This Morning
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This Morning viewers ‘hopeful’ for return of favourite star as Dermot O’Leary under fire

Craig Doyle is certainly popular!

Viewers of This Morning have taken to Twitter today (July 11) to share their hopes for the return of presenter Craig Doyle.

One said: “Really missing Craig today, I hope they make him a permanent host after the summer!”

Craig Doyle and Holly Willoughby on This Morning
Since Phillip Schofield left This Morning, Craig has filled in alongside Holly Willoughby on occasion (Credit: ITV)

Another said: “I hope Craig will be back soon. Great vibes, personality, looks, lovely accent. Not sure why he’s been overlooked so long,” while one fan urged ITV to “bring back Craig” as she was “so bored of Alison [Hammond] and Dermot [O’Leary].”

One took aim at the show and Dermot in particular – jokingly calling him Dermot O’Really – saying: “This Morning’s getting really bad … Can’t someone get a grip? This show is failing greatly. Also, Dermot O’Really is shockingly bad. Where’s the stylist?”

Another fan simply remarked: “Hope Craig will be back on soon,” while one said: “I’ve always loved Dermot but since being on This Morning I’ve gone right off him, he comes across too cocky.”

ITV deny rift between Dermon and Alison

It comes as Dermot has faced criticism amid rumours of his relationship with co-host Alison deteriorating. MailOnline recently reported that programme bosses were planning to keep them apart when presenting.

As one fan tweeted today: “You can definitely tell that there is tension between Alison & Dermot. There is not too much laughter between them again. It’s all serious now.”

Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary
There have been rumours of tension between Alison and Dermot (Credit: ITV)

However, ITV denied claims that their relationship had become strained of late, telling ED! that they were “absolute nonsense”.

The ITV spokesperson continued: “Alison, Dermot and Holly are all valued members of the This Morning family and all enjoy working together on the show, as well as having friendships outside of the show.”

Craig is a This Morning favourite

Craig began as a stand-in presenter on This Morning last year. And last month, he was tipped to replace Phillip Schofield as Holly Willoughby’s co-host for good after a positive reception on social media.

One fan of the show went as far as to call him the “best thing to have happened to This Morning in a very long time” on Twitter.

People on Twitter were also stunned to realise Craig’s real age – he revealed that he’s 52 on the show last month. Fans were shocked, one saying that he’s “ageing like a fine wine”.

Irish presenter Craig has his roots in sports presenting, working for BBC, ITV, and BT Sport in the UK. He began presenting the competitions on This Morning in November 2021. Then, he became a guest presenter the following May.

Read more: Why Holly Willoughby has taken extended break from This Morning without telling viewers?

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