ITV has found a replacement for Michael Parkinson who will be retiring after the end of his next chat show series. Comedian Dara O’Brain – who hosts BBC2’s Mock The Week – will be the next host of the A-list celebrity show.

An ITV insider admitted to TV Biz: “We love Dara and have great plans for him. He’s very warm and can get a lot out of people, which is what you want when you’re interviewing stars.

“He’s also extremely entertaining as he has a background in comedy.

“He’ll be more like Jonathan Ross than Parky, but he’s exactly the kind of upbeat host we need.

“It’s early days but he could well be a worthy successor to Parky.”