Jokes as sun sets on Chiles and Bleakley’s Daybreak sofa stint

The pair made a low key exit as hosts of the ITV1 breakfast show, wishing viewers a happy Christmas and paying tribute to the work of both on-air colleagues and production staff.

“I’m off to concentrate on the football and Christine is being put on ice,” Chiles quipped, referring to Bleakley’s new Dancing On Ice role, before he told viewers: “Bye for now.”

Bleakley said: “That is just about it from us, good luck, have a great Christmas, bye bye.”

As the pair signed off, presenter Lorraine Kelly said: “Good luck guys, we will miss you.”

Earlier, Chiles and Bleakley seemed in high spirits as they enjoyed a joke with broadcasters Tony Blackburn and Chris Tarrant.

Their exit was confirmed in November after the show struggled to improve on the audience for its predecessor GMTV. It was widely thought that the audience failed to warm to the two hosts, who launched the show last year.

Bleakley, 32, who is engaged to footballer Frank Lampard, said last week that she was relishing the prospect of enjoying her evenings again, instead of going to bed early.

ITV have said that both presenters will focus on other “peak-time commitments” on the channel. Chiles’s priority will be his role as anchor for live football coverage and his series That Sunday Night Show will also return for a third run next year.

Bleakley will co-host Dancing On Ice alongside Phillip Schofield. She replaces Holly Willoughby, who is to take a presenting role on BBC1’s The Voice.