
This Morning star dealt crushing blow as new ITV series pushed back
This Morning: Ben Shephard cuts to break amid Johnny Vegas chaos
It looks as though there's bad news for This Morning's Ben Shephard as his new series has reportedly been pushed back.
Titled The Summit, the reality programme will see 14 strangers compete to win a share of £200,000 while climbing a mountain in New Zealand.
Ben took a brief hiatus from his hosting role on This Morning at the end of last year while he was filming the series as he appeared via a live video link to explain his absence.
Although The Summit was originally set to air in 2025, it seems as though the launch date has been pushed back to 2026.
It's reported that the reason behind the delay is down to scheduling conflicts, according to TVZone.
The Mirror has contacted ITV for comment.
Sharing his excitement about the show in the past, Ben commented: "This series really has got it all; the contestants are going to be tested in every possible way as they try and take on the mountain.
"They'll need a serious amount of grit, determination and strategy if they want to reach The Summit. Most people know how much I love exercise and adventure, but this is taking it to another level.
"I'll be donning my mountain gear to check in with them as they battle up the mountain and do their best to combat the demands of the ominous Mountain's Keeper. I can't wait to see how they get on because anyone who reaches The Summit will have seriously earned every penny of the prize fund."
ITV Director of Reality Commissioning and Acquisitions Paul Mortimer teased that The Summit will have viewers gripped with 'nail-biting' scenes.
He said: "Not only is this a huge and complex endurance test for the contestants, overseen by the wonderful Ben Shephard, it's going to be an absolute nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat watch for viewers at home.
"Filled with cliffhangers, shocks, twists and turns, it's going to keep people guessing from the very first step of the trek to that final summit."
Ben is set to be absent from TV screens over the next few weeks as the ITV star is taking a break from This Morning for the summer.
Both Ben and Cat are expected to return once again in September with a plethora of stars taking over.
This Morning announced that viewers can expect to see the likes of Emma Willis, Rylan Clark, Sian Welby, Josie Gibson, Craig Doyle and Olivia Attwood front the show.

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