Daybreak’s weather presenter Kirsty McCabe axed from the ITV breakfast show
Kirsty McCabe is latest Daybreak casualty as she have been axed from the beleaguered breakfast programme.
The 36-year-old weather and environment presenter left the programme yesterday, ITV confirmed.
A Daybreak spokesman admitted: ‘Kirsty is leaving Daybreak to pursue other opportunities and we want her each of the best.’
Miss McCabe, who’s married with a tender baby, said she was searching for work with more family friendly working hours.
No more sunshine: Weather presenter Kirsty McCabe have been axed from ITV breakfast show Daybreak
Miss McCabe added: ‘I even have had the time of my life presenting the elements for GMTV/Daybreak but all great things must come to an end and it’s the best time for me to transport on. I’ve enjoyed three fantastic years on the channel.
‘The last six months were particularly challenging, juggling 330am starts with my very lively and really gorgeous one-year-old son Ethan.
‘So I’m mulling over just a few opportunities where the hours slot in better with my life as a working mum. I’ll miss my GMTV/Daybreak family and can put off some terrific memories.’
She is the most recent to be dropped from the show, which replaced GMTV in September 2010.
Newsreader Tasmin Khan was also axed as were the major presenters Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley.
Day job: But Kirsty will not be giving viewers their early morning forecast
Executives are still in talks about the right way to change the show to win back viewers but current presenters Dan Lobb and Kate Garraway are seen as a secure hands for the instant.
Eamonn Holmes were a contender to take over but he recently signed a brand new handle Sky, while Natasha Kaplinsky has also been tipped to hitch the show.
After years of dwindling ratings for GMTV, executives at ITV had hoped that Daybreak would herald bumper audiences and rival BBC Breakfast, which often gets 1.4 million viewers.
But despite a big campaign and £15 million set and magnificence overhaul, and a bloodbath of veteran presenters in favour of Chiles and Miss Bleakley, it struggled to capture viewer’s attention.
Many complained the content was too lightweight, the presenters lacked chemistry and Chiles particularly was not fitted to breakfast programming.
All the group: Kirsty (back row, far right) is the most recent Daybreak casualty
In an interview with the Daily Mail last month, he conceded: ‘On reflection on it, am I right for breakfast TV? i believed i used to be dead right for it, and now i believe i used to be probably dead wrong.
‘What housewife desires to check out me within the mornings? a variety of blame has to return to my door. To my detriment, I never watched breakfast TV,’ the star explained.
He insisted they were wrong to axe Miss Bleakley, who has now replaced Holly Willoughby because the host of Dancing on Ice.
Chiles still fronts ITV’s football coverage in addition to his Sunday night talk show.
He said: ‘I’ve learned a lot about television inside the last 18 months. I’m a smarter and far more matured broadcaster than if I’d stayed on the BBC. With ITV you reside and die by the sword, but I haven’t got a difficulty with that. I’m battered, but not broken, and, ultimately, I still feel very lucky.’
