ITV’s This Morning has been presented with a BAFTA Special Award to celebrate it’s 30-year contribution to creativity and innovation in daytime TV production.
This Morning is ITV’s longest-running British daytime TV programme. Currently it is presented by Phillip Schofield, Holly Willoughby, Eamonn Holmes OBE and Ruth Langsford.
The show has received the award for its outstanding contribution to the industry, the originality of its approach, and its enduring popular appeal. It was also celebrated for the support it has provided to many working in factual entertainment today, particularly in the North West of England.
A creative catalyst
The first episode of This Morning was broadcast live in October 1988, hosted by husband and wife team Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. It was initially broadcast from Granada Studio on Albert Dock in Liverpool, and acted as a catalyst for the North West TV production hub.
“We had this strange set up on the Albert Dock, it wasn’t even a proper studio. It was a converted car showroom and we felt like we were pioneering,” says Finnigan. “There was a joyous, wonderful feeling that we could do anything.”
“People come on This Morning and say, I came here because I trust you,” adds Schofield. “They tell you the worst possible thing that could happen to someone, and trust us with their story.”