Morning Live's Gethin Jones sends message to new host after replacement news

Gethin Jones has extended his best wishes to Jason Manford following the announcement that the comedian will be stepping in for him on BBC Morning Live. The show's bosses have confirmed that 43 year old Manford is set to make his first appearance this Friday, June 28.

Initially, Jason will join forces with Gaby Roslin, before he returns to the programme on Wednesday, July 3, to co-present alongside Helen Skelton. Earlier in the week, Jason shared his excitement about the role, telling fans to brace themselves for some "little chaos".

"I'm delighted to have been asked to guest co-host Morning Live this week. I always love supporting a Manchester-based show and every time I've been on as a guest, the team have always been a real pleasure to work with," Jason remarked.

He added: "I'm looking forward to bringing a little chaos to the sofa once we go live! " As Jason gears up for his presenting debut, he received a heartening message from Gethin, reports the Express.

On Instagram, where Jason boasts nearly 400K followers, he posted: "Early night tonight! Guest hosting @bbcmorninglive with the wonderful @gabyroslin in the morning. Looking forward to the madness of live telly! Tune in tomorrow from 9.30am!"

Gethin chimed in with a supportive comment under the post, saying: "Go well J! " This prompted a grateful response from Jason: "@gethincjones cheers brother! Will keep seat warm for ya."

Gethin's Morning Live colleagues and Jason's celebrity pals sent their best wishes, with presenter Rav Wilding commenting: "Go well matey, see you bright and early!" while soap actor Kevin Fletcher said: "We'll be watching!"

Fans also expressed their support for Jason, with one stating: "Go get em jase, I'll be watching you," and another mentioning: "Don't usually watch tv in the mornings but this is definitely a reason to tune in."

Emma Morris, Executive Editor of Morning Live, shared her enthusiasm about Jason joining as co-host, saying: "We are thrilled to be welcoming Jason to the Morning Live team in the coming weeks. He is already a good friend of the show and it goes without saying he's an incredibly entertaining and experienced presenter. I just know our audience is going to love him! ".

Jason Manford isn't new to Morning Live, having appeared as a guest several times, and boasts a resume filled with presenting roles including Children in Need, The National Lottery's New Year's Eve Big Bash, Unbeatable, and panel appearances on Have I Got News for You. In 2010, he also had a stint as a presenter on The One Show, co-hosting with Alex Jones for four months.