Angellica Bell has been replaced on The Martin Lewis Money Show Live (Picture: ITV)
ITV bosses have responded to reports that Angellica Bell was dropped from The Martin Lewis Money Show Live with ‘no warning’ after accepting a job at a rival channel.
A spokesperson insisted that the broadcaster’s relationship with Bell, 47, remained ‘amicable’, despite the TV star being abruptly replaced by ex-Olympian and broadcaster Jeanette Kwakye.
Bell had co-presented alongside financial expert Martin Lewis on the show for the past six series, helping it nab a TV Bafta nomination too.
However, she accepted a new gig on Channel 5’s rebranded replacement for The Gadget Show – Shop Smart, Save Money – earlier this year, which producers claimed presented a ‘conflict of interest’.
A source close to the show shared that staff were ‘stunned’ by the move to let former CBBC presenter Bell go, which ‘no one saw coming’.
‘Angellica has been an integral part of the show since 2017 so for her to be bumped off air with no warning is crazy.
The TV presenter took a gig on Channel 5 show Shop Smart, Save Money, which ITV producers reportedly saw as a ‘conflict of interest’ (Picture: David Fisher/Shutterstock for NTA)
‘Staff have naturally been talking and find the whole thing really awkward and unfair, but Martin is trying to keep out of it as it wasn’t up to him,’ they told The Sun.
The insider claimed that the rebranding of The Gadget Show to also become a more consumer money programme meant they were concerns over ‘editorial contradictions’, but the decision for Bell to leave was out of her hands.
‘Many staff feel at the very least bosses could have given her warning or an option as to which show she wanted to continue with,’ they added.
Bell had worked alongside Martin Lewis for six series and allegedly received ‘no warning’ that her contract was not being renewed (Picture: Getty)
The source also claimed that the Martin Lewis Money Show Live production team were not aware of the name of Bell’s new show until it was announced in September, by which point the TV presenter had already started filming on it.
However, ITV reps have now commented on the claims, saying in a statement: ‘Angellica is not working on the Martin Lewis Money Show Live, however, the relationship with her remains amicable and we are working with her on other forthcoming programmes.’
Fans were disappointed to see Bell not appear alongside Lewis as the thirteenth series kicked off on October 31, with one asking on the show directly on X (formerly known as Twitter): ‘Where’s the lovely Angelica Bell?’
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‘@MartinSLewis Any calls about Angelica Bell….?’ posted another fan.
‘Wasn’t the same without @angellicabell,’ complained a separate viewer.
Bell is also on the roster as a guest presenter for The One Show and won Celebrity MasterChef in 2017.
After 37 series and 19 years on air, Channel 5 announced that The Gadget Show as it was previously known was no more, but that its spiritual successor would retain the same presenting team of Ortis Deley, Georgie Barrat and Jon Bentley – and now with the added Bell.
Metro.co.uk has contacted ITV and reps for Angellica Bell and Martin Lewis for comment.
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Angellica Bell co-presented on The Martin Lewis Money Show Live for six series before abruptly departing.