Bleakley bound for ITV

The One Show presenter is set to rejoin Adrian Chiles on...

10:10 21 June 2010

'The One Show' host Christine Bleakley is to move to ITV, it has been confirmed.

Irish presenter Bleakley is to rejoin her former co-host Adrian Chiles in a three-year deal offered by the broadcaster.

Both broadcasters had made an offer to Bleakley; however, the BBC retracted its £900,000 two-year offer as she was "unable to make a decision".

Soon after she accepted ITV's offer of a reported £4million two-year deal, which sees her join Chiles on the GMTV sofa host prime-time entertainment shows.

Chiles left the BBC in April for ITV over changes to the show, landing himself a £6million four-year deal on the GMTV sofa as well as leading the channel's football lineup.

Speaking of the move, Bleakley said: "I am looking forward to a brand new experience at ITV albeit with an old friend. I have had the most wonderful three years at the BBC and 'The One Show'. It has consumed my life in that time and I would not have had it any other way.

"It is with regret that this experience is coming to an end. I have been torn between working with Adrian Chiles and remaining at the BBC. I fully understand the BBC had to move more swiftly than I could, and as a result they've managed to help make my mind up for me."

Bleakley is contracted until September when she will jump ship to ITV for her new early morning start on the breakfast sofa.

A BBC spokesman said of the Corporation's decision to withdraw the £450,000 a year deal: "We have been in discussions with Christine Bleakley about her new contract ever since she told us in April that she wanted to be a part of the relaunched One Show following Adrian Chiles's departure.

"With that in mind we made a full and final offer to her several weeks ago and made it clear we would not be entering into a bidding war with other channels.

"We have regretfully withdrawn our offer as we have to put the interests of The One Show audience first and the current uncertainty does not allow us to do that."

GMTV is to reveal a new-look format in the autumn to combat the fall in rating it has suffered in recent years. The deal makes Bleakley on of the highest paid women on the channel.