This Morning fans were thrilled as Steph McGovern made an epic daytime TV return  – and even begged for her to replace a regular host permanently.

The journalist and TV presenter, 43, appeared alongside LBC radio host Nick Ferrari, 66, for the ITV chat show’s This Morning View segment today.

It saw the pair unpack today’s headlines, from Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s spending review yesterday, to a survey on whether the UK still has a North-South divide.

Steph, after working as BBC Breakfast’s business presenter and a programme co-host, began leading her own daytime chat show Steph’s Packed Lunch in 2020.

But after the Channel 4 programme was axed in 2023, viewers have been missing her presence on daytime TV – and took to X to welcome her return today.

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The journalist and TV presenter, 43, appeared alongside LBC radio host Nick Ferrari, 66, for the ITV chat show’s This Morning View segment today

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It saw the pair unpack today’s headlines, from Chancellor Rachel Reeves ‘s spending review yesterday, to a survey on whether the UK still has a North-South divide

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Steph, after working as BBC Breakfast’s business presenter and a programme co-host, began leading her own daytime chat show Steph’s Packed Lunch in 2020

As Steph sat down with presenters Cat Deeley, 48, and Ben Shephard, 50, with fellow panellist Nick, one user said: ‘Loving Steph McGovern on This Morning today.

‘Down to earth, funny and clever. She should be on more often or even presenting the show.’

Another added: ‘This Morning, please use Steph McGovern as a main presenter. She is really good.’

Similarly, someone else commented: ‘Great having Steph on This Morning.’

One user had their first introduction to Steph on the segment, saying: ‘I like the woman who was with Nick Ferrari. Who is she?

‘Articulate, intelligent, funny and a Northerner!’

A major aspect of the discussion focussed on the Chancellor’s spending update speech yesterday – which saw Nick defer to Steph’s business reporting expertise.

He caveated his own analysis by saying: ‘Steph is the financial guru here.’

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A major aspect of the discussion focussed on the Chancellor’s spending update speech yesterday – which saw Nick defer to Steph’s business reporting expertise

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He caveated his own analysis by saying: ‘Steph is the financial guru here’

Viewers have been missing her presence on daytime TV – and took to X to welcome her return today

After she provided her commentary, Nick mentioned the spending review received a ‘positive write-up’ in the Financial Times as a segue to further praise for his colleague.

‘Every time there’s a spending review or a budget, the first paper I turn to is the Financial Times because I don’t have Steph by my side’, he said.

She joked, ‘I could be there!’, with Cat weighing in: ‘There on speed dial!’

Nick continued, of the Financial Times’ view on the spending review: ‘They do say exactly what Steph just said.’

The political conversation gave way to a light-hearted debate between long-time Londoner Nick and North Shields native Steph about the UK’s North-South divide.

Steph quipped: ‘I just want to start by saying the North is better than the South.

‘As a proud Northerner who lives in the North, I live up in Newcastle, and there is a divide.

‘For a start, Northerners are funnier, Northerners have got more resilience because we have to, we’ve got better banter. You know all this Nick, don’t you?’

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Her wit, analysis and delivery were clearly a hit with viewers

She then delivered analysis: ‘But if you look at things like investment, and I know we’ve heard from the Chancellor about more money for English regions and that’s really important.

‘It’s a long way off yet, when we’ll see that actually play through.’

Steph also commented on the alarming difference in life expectancy between the North and South, well-documented over the years.

And her wit, analysis and delivery were clearly a hit with viewers.

Steph’s turn on This Morning comes after the journalist appeared on competition TV show Celebrity Bear Hunt earlier this year.

Billed as ‘the ultimate survival challenge’, the Netflix programme saw a group of unlikely celebrities get dropped into the Central American jungle as prey for one of the world’s most fearsome predators – Bear Grylls.

But the show, which aired in February, proved particularly dangerous for Steph as a shock incident saw her almost break her nose after swinging face-first into a cliff face, The Sun reports.

Steph is said to have struggled to walk after being covered in bruises, while at one point there were fears she was concussed.

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Steph’s turn on This Morning comes after the journalist appeared on competition TV show Celebrity Bear Hunt earlier this year (pictured)

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It proved particularly dangerous for Steph as a shock incident saw her almost break her nose after swinging face-first into a cliff face – which is said to have left presenter Holly Willoughby fighting tears amid concerns the journalist would not be able to continue

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Luckily for the star, she was deemed fit to carry on 24 hours later, though her injury was still visible in the trailer as she was seen with a plaster across her nose

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MailOnline revealed earlier this month that Bear Hunt (pictured) has been axed after just one series

The horror smash is also said to have left presenter Holly Willoughby fighting tears, amid concerns the journalist would not be able to continue.

Luckily for the star, she was deemed fit to carry on 24 hours later, though her injury was still visible in the trailer as she was seen with a plaster across her nose.

MailOnline revealed earlier this month that Bear Hunt has been axed after just one series.

The programme, filmed Costa Rica, will not return despite co-host Bear saying he was hopeful it would.

Sources close to the show say while the ratings were good, it was expensive to make and Netflix are now planning to do more live events rather than pre-recorded shows.

One told MailOnline: ‘Everyone was very proud of the show but when it came to it, it was just so expensive to make.

‘You had to have a whole set in Costa Rica, loads of staff and loads of celebrities. The overheads were eyewatering.’

It is understood cheaper locations were looked at but nothing appeared to be suitable.