... badly. True, they knew it was on the cards, but they didn't want or expect to face up to that fact... via the newspapers.

Daybreak presenter Adrian Chiles has bollocked ITV bosses ourravih following reports that he and Christine Bleakley will be axed from the UK breakfast show in the next few weeks. Speaking to the Sunday People, the 44-year-old revealed that he and Christine, 32 (it must be her Shoowbiiiz age, that or the Sun [the celestial body, not the tabloid] has not been kind), were informed that their run on the programme would end in the New Year but that "we were assured we could go with our dignity intact." Bit late for that, no?

Chiles added: "That's obviously not happened. We were enjoying the show and we thought things were going well. We didn't want to go." He continued to add that they have been left "angry, upset and acutely embarrassed," by the whole situation. He said: "It was a bolt out of the blue and has come as a big blow to our careers that we've been dumped at this time. Dark forces have leaked it for their own ends and I am mightily unhappy about it."

Bleakley seemed equally irked, posting on her Twitter page on Saturday: "Morning, what a lovely headline to wake up to. My sarcasm comes across in this tweet I hope."

Ah well, Christine, at least you have the footballing fiance to fall back on. You've also made several people in the BBC very happy, which is nice.