"GMTV's" Penny Smith Quits After 17 Years Presenting UK Breakfast Show

“GMTV’s” Penny Smith Quits After 17 Years Presenting Breakfast Show.  “GMTV” presenter Penny Smith has confirmed that she will be leaving the program after 17 years. The news comes during a time when ITV is undergoing plans to revamp the breakfast show.  Smith will go on to host a new BBC Radio 2 Opera show in June and continue to work on her third novel. The presenter explains: “It’s an ideal time for me to say goodbye to early mornings. Now that the format has changed, I have taken the plunge and am moving on.” Neil Thompson, “GMTV’s” managing editor, said “Penny has been a welcoming and familiar face on Britain’s breakfast screens for many years. She has become a hallmark of GMTV’s presentation, not only on the sofa but also as a newsreader. She has done a fantastic job over the last 17 years and has made an enormous contribution to the success of the News Hour.”  Smith’s co-presenter John Stapleton has been made the show’s first special correspondent. Stapleton said “I’m going back to doing what I love best – covering major national and international news stories, and, after 12 years of getting up at 3.45am, I’m looking forward to having at least a few lie-ins a week when I’m not on duty.”It has also being reported that Smith is in talks with ITV for future projects.