Fern Britton says she was seen as a ‘liability’ to ITV ahead of This Morning exit

Britton departed ITV daytime show amid controversy surrounding gastric band surgery

Fern Britton has claimed she was seen as a “liability” to ITV shortly before her exit from This Morning.

Britton presented the ITV daytime show alongside John Leslie from 1999 until 2002, and then alongside Phillip Schofield from 2002 until 2009. She was replaced by current co-presenter Holly Willoughby.

Speaking on Dan Wooton’s LBC radio show, ahead of the release of her new novel, Britton said that controversy surrounding her weight loss “ruffled a few feathers” at ITV.

In 2008, Britton was accused of lying about undergoing gastric band surgery, after only suggesting that “hard work” was the cause of her 10-stone weight loss. She has always maintained that she did not lie, or claim that it was solely down to exercise.

“It was all gastric band-gate,” she told Wooton, in regards to her exit. “It ruffled a few feathers, and I think perhaps I became a bit of a liability to ITV. I really don’t know.”

She continued: “I know that the day I decided to leave – and I’m not going to get into this now – something happened that morning and I thought, ‘I’m done’ and ITV went, ‘Thanks very much. Goodbye’.”

She also denied that her exit from the show was caused by a pay gap between her and Schofield.

“It was nothing to do with money,” she said. “That got into a story and it was not to do with that. I didn’t know what Phillip was earning. But I knew that I was earning plenty for me and you have to know what is enough for yourself. I’m old fashioned enough not to question what other people are earning. I was very well looked after.”

Since leaving This Morning, Britton participated in Strictly Come Dancing, acted on stage and released a number of bestselling novels.