Fern Britton quits 'This Morning'

Fern Britton is to step down from presenting ITV's This Morning, it has been announced.

The daytime presenter will step down from her position when the current series finishes this summer.

"After 10 years with This Morning, I have decided to leave the show at the end of the current series," said Britton. "I will present my last show on July 17th - my birthday - which seems somehow appropriate.

"The This Morning team are simply the best, and I will miss them all very much, but I am looking forward to the freedom of exploring other things I want to do, and also spend more time with my wonderful family."

Co-presenter Phillip Schofield expressed his sadness at Britton's decision on his official website. "I’m obviously very sad that after 10 triumphant years on This Morning Fern has decided to leave the sofa," he said.

"I’ve been lucky enough to work with her for six of those years and can honestly say that they have been amongst the best of my career."

Britton recently appeared on the Question Time panel and was a competitor on celebrity dance show Let's Dance For Comic Relief.