THIS Morning's Alison and Dermot looked 'sad and tired' on TV, according to a leading body language expert.
The duo took to the airwaves to host Monday's edition of the flagship ITV daytime show, just moments after Phillip Schofield hit out.
Alison, 48, and Dermot, 50, welcomed the loyal viewers onto the programme as the show has seemingly been hit in scandal.
But leading body language expert Judi James told that the pair opened the show 'like soldiers going into battle.'
She asked: "Should two talented, likeable, authentic presenters ever have to start their show performing the kind of tough-guy, clasping handshake and eye-to-eye contact that makes them look like soldiers going into battle?"
"Because that was what the 'drawn-the-short-straw-twice' duo Dermot and Alison were seen to do on this second fronting of This Morning since Schofield went. It was a touching gesture but sad to watch.
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"Alison looked unhappy and uncomfortable at the start of this show and her very frequent glances at Dermot and the way she kept rolling her pen between her fingers suggested a desire for support.
"Dermot was using barrier gestures or self-diminishing poses, sitting with his arms folded across his chest during the pre-show trailer and then sitting in a lowered pose with his upper arms pressed against his torso in a self-hug and his hands thrust between his thighs to suggest a desire to hide as he delivered the lines about being 'in the news at the moment' and that 'we love making this show' as the pair sat on the sofa together for the first interviews."
She added: "Dermot's eyes looked tired and Alison's looked sad."
The Friday hosts kicked off a newspaper review with a toe-curling side note after was exposed.
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Addressing the elephant in the room before kicking off This Morning View at the start of the programme, Dermot said: "We all know we happen to be in the news at the moment and of course we appreciate that.
"But just from both of us, the crew and the whole team downstairs, we love making this show for you."
Alison cut in, to add: "Yes, we really do and that's exactly what we're going to do, we're going to continue doing that. Let's go on with our first news story."
Newspaper review guest Gyles Brandreth made his view clear, telling the hosts: "We're very happy to be here, can I say that?
"This is a happy place to work, I enjoy coming in here.
"We are happy people in a happy place with interesting stories."