As it battled its biggest crisis in nearly four decades, ITV bosses thought they’d finally found the perfect replacement for Holly Willoughby on the beleaguered This Morning sofa.

Producers had their sights set firmly on presenter Helen Skelton, whose wholesome, family-friendly image fit well with the long-running daytime show’s brand.

It was 2023 and Holly had officially left after 14 years on the daytime programme, months after Phillip Schofield stood down over an affair with a younger colleague.

At the time, ITV were searching for their next Holly and Phil and Martin Frizell, then editor of This Morning, was tasked with finding their replacements before he left the show.

Ms Skelton, 42, was a name put forward for the job by staffers – she was seen as family-orientated, but more importantly, a ‘safe’ pair of hands after a rocky year for the programme.

It could have been a big coup: Skelton was a guest presenter on the BBC’s breakfast broadcast, Morning Live, which consistently rates higher than ITV’s ailing version.

Instead, the corporation’s Morning Live executive editor, Emma Morris – who previously worked on the ITV show under Frizell – swooped in and secured Ms Skelton as a permanent star on the early BBC show.

The Daily Mail can now reveal that staffers on This Morning were said to have been left ‘baffled’ at Ms Skelton’s choice to stay at the corporation but she remains, to this day, loyal to the BBC.

In exchange for her continuing steadfastness, I’m told that BBC chiefs even handed her another series of her solo daytime series, Lost and Found in the Lakes, which performs well at 2pm and aired earlier this year.

‘Helen is really liked by BBC bosses across the organisation, the portfolio of shows she is a part of is very diverse and she works with a variety of producers,’ a well-placed source told me.

‘They never have a bad word to say about her and neither do her on-air colleagues, she is great fun to be around.

‘She is equally as adored by the viewers at home. She has just been handed another series of her daytime show which is a great vote of confidence in her.’

The show, which first launched last year, reunites members of the public with treasured possessions they have lost.

Ms Skelton first graced our screens in 1999, when she landed a brief role in Coronation Street. She was an extra and had no official character or storyline.

But she soon became a household name when she was made a permanent host of Blue Peter in 2008. After five years, she made the decision to move away from children’s television in 2013 and the following year she became a host of Countryfile, which she still presents to this day.

‘Helen has long told her pals how she would like to start hosting more of her own programmes,’ my source explained.

‘It’s not to say she doesn’t like co-presenting, but she knows her worth and is more than capable of being at the helm by herself.

‘She has more than earned her stripes and is viewed as the BBC’s weapon for ITV.’

Indeed, I’m told those at the channel are still disappointed they could not lure her over – with Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley now fronting the show.

‘[ITV] execs are still kicking themselves about it, she is regularly mentioned and it is only a matter of time before they try and offer her a place in the fold,’ the insider added.

‘But the BBC are determined to keep Helen and offer her opportunities within the corporation.’

For now, Ms Skelton is very happy with her position at the BBC and her current workload.

But it hasn’t been an easy few years. Ms Skelton struggled following the breakdown of her marriage to rugby star Richie Myler.

They announced their split in 2022 after nine years of marriage and finalised their divorce two years later.

At the time of their separation, their youngest child Elsie was just four months old. They also have two sons, Ernie and Louis.

Soon after their split, Myler, 36, moved on with Stephanie Thirkill and they now have two children.

Ms Skelton is said to have leaned on her Morning Live co-presenter Gethin Jones in the wake of the divorce, who was a great support.

They grew close and last year were rumoured to be dating, sparking lively gossip at the BBC’s Manchester offices. They were even spotted together at a luxury spa close to Jones’ home in Cheshire – some 110 miles from where Helen lives in Cumbria – with a suitcase.

Neither did anything to quash the speculation. At the time no denials were issued, either publicly from them, or privately from their representatives, despite several approaches from this newspaper.

Earlier this year Ms Skelton finally addressed the rumours, denying any sort of romance and describing Jones as a ‘work friend’.

After her marriage ended, the presenter moved back to her native Cumbria with her children where they now live on her parents’ dairy farm.

She reportedly lives a quiet life there, a far cry from the glitz and glamour of showbusiness.

Ms Skelton told a newspaper last year: ‘It’s funny: my friend came up to visit me from London and said I live in 1985.

‘I’m all right with that.’