This Morning fans got a delightful surprise when Craig Doyle stepped in for Dermot O'Leary to host the ITV daytime show alongside Alison Hammond this week. But who is Craig Doyle and what is he famous for?
Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond usually host the Friday show and also provide holiday cover for regular hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield but Alison hosted the May Day bank holiday show without Dermot and instead of Vernon Kay filling in, a familiar face was drafted in.
Who is Craig Doyle?
Craig Doyle is an Irish Television and radio presenter who often appears on the competition segments on This Morning but sports fans will recognise him as presenter of BT Sport covering the Rugby Union - a role he's done since 2013. Craig has also been a presenter for BT Sport's coverage of MotoGP since mid-2015.
His This Morning debut saw him host alongside Alison Hammond while Dermot O'Leary took a day off. After the episode, he uploaded a snap of him on set with Alison and captioned it, "What a fun day. Thank you to the wonderful @alisonhammond55 for minding me. Thank you to all the crew on @thismorning for inviting me along and @chefphilvickery for an incredible lunch. I felt honoured to be sitting on that iconic sofa."
And Craig announced he will be returning to screens this weekend for the Heineken Cup quarter final between Munster and Toulouse on BT Sport for the European Rugby Champions Cup.
He has been praised for his presenting skills. Dr Larisa Corda wrote, "So lovely to have met you today, you were fab alongside lovely Alison, especially on your first fertility phone in."
A viewer put, "I loved watching you & @alisonhammond55…I hope you will be back on soon Xx"
And Alison praised her colleague, "What a star !! you didn’t need me at all . Loved every minute 😍😍😍❤️❤️" she wrote.
What is Craig Doyle famous for?
Craig Doyle is most famous in the UK for fronting the adverts of double-lazing company Everest Windows, hosting the competition segments on This Morning, where he gives viewers the chance to win £120,000 in cash and as presenter the Rugby Union coverage on BT Sports.
Meanwhile, in Ireland he serves as the face of the UPC cable service adverts and is the host of RTÉ One chat show Tonight with Craig Doyle and RTÉ Two’s Craig Doyle Live.
Speaking about his career, in an interview back in 2012, Craig confessed, "I’d like to think I could finish up in Ireland. I love Ireland, I love the people and the sense of community in Ireland. There’s no job good enough to replace my life here. And as s*** as it is at the moment, there is still something very special about Ireland. And it would be very easy for me to live in some small cutesy village in a converted barn outside of London. I would probably make more money, be busier but it wouldn’t be as good. So ultimately I see here as my future."
You can watch Craig in action as host of Craig Doyle live with a clip of some of his best bits...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se7DCOR5vzg
What age is Craig Doyle?
Craig Doyle is 51 years old and he surprised ITV viewers with his youthful looks.
One fan tweeted, "‘So I googled Craig. That man is never 51! #ThisMorning."
Another tweeted, "Idk who this fella is but Google tells me he’s 51! Gonna need your skincare regime please Mr Doyle #ThisMorning."
While one more viewer added, "Craig Doyle is looking good for 51. Hardly aged at all in 25 years! #ThisMorning."
Who is Craig Doyle's wife?
Craig Doyle is married to his wife Doon Doyle. Craig and his long-time girlfriend married in 2001 and the pair have four children together—daughters Muireann, 16, and Elsa, 11, and sons Milo, 14, and Quinn, 16.
The family live in County Wicklow in Ireland and in 2012 Craig helped his wife run a challenging cross-country course at Killruddery House near Bray in Co Wicklow to mark their 10th wedding anniversary.
Craig previously posted tribute to his wife and mum with his children and captioned it, "Lucky Me - Lucky Us. Happy Mothers Day Mums X #mothersday."
And he once revealed that he works to pay the mortgage and put his kids through school. He said, "I guarantee you, of all the people in RTÉ, I’m not on television to be famous,’ he says. ‘It doesn’t interest me remotely. It’s my job, it’s how I make my money. I do these shows to get paid and to pay my mortgage. I do these adverts because they pay me and I can go and put my kids through school.
"People bang on about shows and ads being art forms, no – I just want to get paid, like a guy building a wall wants to get paid or a man working in a shop. And if people want to slag me about the UPC ads, then fine, I don’t mind it because that’s why I’m doing it."
ITV This Morning airs weekdays from 10am-12.30pm.
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