It took months of twists and turns for ITV to sign her from her big-money presenting job in the US.
And now, just weeks after Cat Deeley debuted on This Morning, BBC bosses are trying to lure her to the network as an entertainment presenter.
A Beeb source said some Corporation executives believed there was “huge value” in hiring her, following an ongoing “tit-for-tat” dispute between the BBC and ITV over each other's talent poaching. “We believe that there is,” he said.
One person told the Mail on Sunday: “Cats have the air of Saturday night TV queens, but the females lack that.”
“She's used to hosting flashy shows in America, and with the right show here, she could be an absolute ratings winner.”
“There's no love lost in stealing the star between the BBC and ITV. What a great move that is.”
ITV recently poached BBC stars Graham Norton, Gary Lineker and Zoe Ball to host the show, while Alison Hammond and Paddy McGuinness were both poached from ITV by rivals.
Due to the lack of “golden handcuff” contracts in recent years, stars are free to work on the channels of their choice. Mr Deeley's predecessor, Holly Willoughby, was the host of This Morning from 2012 until 2014 when he anchored the BBC show The Voice, and from 2022. He performed “Freeze the Fear'' with Wim Hof.
After months of negotiations, ITV was able to secure Deeley, 47, to host its daytime show.
It is unlikely that he will return for the next series of the US reality show So You Think You Can Dance. This is because he is scheduled to appear on “This Morning,'' so he doesn't have time to film.