Josie is a great choice to steady the listing ship

AS she calmly sat by Holly Willoughby’s side yesterday and offered a much-needed hug, Josie Gibson cemented her position as a safe pair of hands to steady the listing This Morning ship

- EMMELINE SAUNDERS

From her reality TV beginnings in the Big Brother house to being selected as Holly co-star for the all-important first episode back after the Schofield scandal, Josie’s star has been steadily on the rise.

Insiders believe the 38-year-old mum could be the secret ingredient to saving the show from disaster.

Josie won hearts for her down-to-earth nature when she first bounced into the limelight in 2010. Just 18 minutes after winning Big Brother, she ran back into the House for Ultimate Big Brother, although she quit the reality show to be reunited with her housemate-turned-boyfriend John James Parton.

While she and John James didn’t last the distance, Josie became a darling of women’s magazines, thanks to her relatability and good humour.

She struggled publicly with her weight, turning to yo-yo diets.

She said she had a problem with her body image since the age of six, but managed to lose a whopping six stone in 2012, going from a size 20 to a size 8, and in 2016 she underwent surgery to remove loose skin.