Where the T4 cast are now – from being sacked by X Factor to clash with mega pop star and a very famous TV wife
THEY were sexy, cool and ruled the TV schedules in the Noughties with their top banter and model good looks.
And the presenters of T4 have almost all gone on to be big household names.
The Channel 4 teen hit, which aired from 1998 to 2012, nurtured the talents of stars such as Miquita Oliver, June Sarpong, Dermot O’Leary, Vernon Kay and Alexa Chung.
And a decade since it wrapped, former hunky host Steve Jones has made his debut on This Morning – quickly impressing fans with his wit and charm.
He said: “I used to present T4 and I was thinking that This Morning essentially is T4 for grown-ups.”
The weekend entertainment programme was broadcast on a Saturday and Sunday.
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The team delivering segments and links between popular programmes including Hollyoaks and Shipwrecked.
Despite its many success stories, some hosts, such as Anthony Crank, Omar Gurnah and Georgie Okell, have stepped out of the limelight.
Anthony has taken a couple of acting roles in Coronation Street and Shameless.
Omar works in marketing, while Georgie went to Sweden to be a fitness pro at Barry’s Bootcamp.
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Other members of the cast, including Alex Zane and Simon Amstell, are still busy and booked.
Here, Felicity Cross charts the superstar graduates of T4 . . .
Dermot O'Leary (1998-2001)
DERMOT O’Leary, 50, was a DJ at BBC Essex before he landed a job as part of the original presenting line-up on T4.
Channel 4 picked him to front reality show spin-off Big Brother’s Little Brother from 2001-2008.
And he appeared in McFly’s music video for “All About You”, the official single of Comic Relief in 2005.
In 2007, Simon Cowell chose him to host The X Factor, a role he held until 2018. He also did a week-long stint on This Morning in 2014.
Across the BBC, he’s had his own chat show, Dermot Meets . . . and gameshow The Getaway Car.
Margherita Taylor (1999-2001)
MARGHERITA Taylor also started out in local radio and was working at Birmingham’s BRMB when she was scouted by Capital London.
In 1999, she landed a spot in T4’s starting line-up, working alongside Dermot and, later, Vernon Kay.
She has also been a contributor on Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, Countryfile and This Morning.
But her first love was always radio and she is still a key member of the Capital team, hosting on Smooth and Classic FM, where she is currently the Drivetime presenter.
Ben Shephard (1999-2000)
BEN Shephard became a morning TV regular in 1998, hosting spin-off The Bigger Breakfast.
The same year, Channel 4 bosses put him on T4.
Two years later, he joined ITV’s GMTV as an entertainment host, then as a main presenter in 2005.
He quit the show in 2010, weeks before it was axed anyway, but returned to ITV in 2014 to front the newly-launched Good Morning Britain, where he remains.
Ben, pictured with Dermot and T4 creator Andi Peters, is rarely off the box now thanks to his breakfast slot, game show Tipping Point and Ninja Warrior UK.
June Sarpong (2000-2007)
STARTING out on Kiss FM, June Sarpong then moved to MTV — before T4 came calling.
She interviewed ex-PM Tony Blair for a T4 special and became one of TV’s busiest hosts on shows including Your Face or Mine? with Jimmy Carr. She was also on Question Time.
In 2007, June was awarded an MBE for services to broadcasting and charity — and has made a name for herself as an equality campaigner.
She was a panellist on ITV’s Loose Women and, in 2019, became the BBC’s first Director of Creative Diversity.
Vernon Kay (2000-2005)
HE was working as a model when he was picked for T4 – and his celebrity status soon rocketed.
After leaving the show in 2006, Vernon, 49, hosted several other teen programmes for the BBC and ITV. But it was All Star Family Fortunes that made him a household name.
Since then he’s had a shot at fronting everything from gameshows to sports coverage and presented on BBC Radio 1 and Radio X.
He is currently the mid-morning host on BBC Radio 2 after replacing Ken Bruce earlier this year. TV star Tess Daly, 54, is his wife.
Steve Jones (2003-2010)
WELSH hunk Steve, 46, was a model when T4 talent-spotted him — and he became one of the show’s best-loved faces.
In 2011, Simon Cowell chose him to present his new X Factor US.
But it bombed and Steve was sacked after one series.
He struggled to find proper work for years before fronting Formula 1 for Channel 4.
He’s now on the presenting roster for ITV’s This Morning.
Miquita Oliver (2006-2010)
UNLIKE the others, Miquita had five years’ experience on Channel 4 music show Popworld before joining T4.
But in 2010, she was suspended from the teen hit after being overheard insulting singer Kesha.
She’s also claimed she lost a job on Radio 1 for “saying silly things”.
Since then Miquita, 39, has been on a string of programmes, including Celebrity Gogglebox.
Rick Edwards (2007-2011)
RICK performed stand-up while at Cambridge University, which made him a natural fit for T4 - his first job on telly.
After the teen show he quickly picked up multiple presenting credits across the likes of Tool Academy and Made In Chelsea plus sports coverage and a daytime quiz show for BBC One called !mpossible.
He also manned political discussion show Free Speech for BBC Three, including a string of specials during the 2015 general election.
Since 2021 he’s found a home on Radio 5Live Breakfast Show.
Alexa Chung (2008-2009)
SHE began in modelling after being scouted aged 16 while watching comedy at Reading Festival and became a teen supermodel.
In 2006 she landed the chair on Popworld alongside Alex Zane, before then joining T4.
It saw her become a fashion icon, inspiring an Alexa handbag by British designer Mulberry, and she dated big names like Arctic Monkey’s Alex Turner and actor Alexander Skarsgard.
She pivoted back to style and lifestyle content on TV for shows like Gok’s Fashion Fix, Next In Fashion and launching her own fashion label.
Jameela Jamil (2009-2012)
JAMEELA was working as a teacher when she was scouted by a producer in a bar, then applied for T4 by email.
She followed Alexa on to music show Freshly Squeezed alongside Nick Grimshaw and became a DJ on Radio 1 and the event circuit - with her first show being at Elton John’s birthday party.
In 2016 she moved to LA to become a screenwriter but ended up landing a role in NBC comedy The Good Place as Tahani Al-Jamil.
She’s also become a campaigner for equality.
Nick Grimshaw (2010-2012)
GRIMMY started out in student radio before landing a job on Radio 1’s Switch youth programme in 2007.
His career really kicked off the following year when he landed the station’s weekend breakfast show, before moving to a late-night presenting slot.
In 2010, Nick, 39, added T4 to his roster, fronting it until he was promoted to the Beeb’s breakfast show, replacing Chris Moyles.
On TV he’s been a judge on The X Factor, filmed cameos for soaps including EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale and has also starred on Celebrity Gogglebox.
Will Best (2011-2012)
HE may have been one of T4’s last hosts, but Will continued the trend of its team hitting great heights.
When the programme ended, his presenting credits included E4 speed-dating show Love Shaft.
He was also a panellist on Big Brother spin-off Bit On The Side.
Roles on ITV followed, including Dance Dance Dance with Alesha Dixon.
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But when work dried up, Will, 38, set up a drinks firm making canned Bloody Mary cocktails.
He's preparing to make his telly return on ITVX’s rebooted Big Brother this autumn.