This Morning presenter Ben Shephard halted the ITV show on Monday to share some “breaking” baby news with viewers.
Ben Shephard interrupted This Morning’s usual programming to share some “breaking” baby news, as he informed expectant parents about the 2025 list of trending baby names that had just landed.
The 49-year-old Tipping Point presenter revealed that Olivia continues to charm the nation, holding firmly onto its position as the most coveted name for baby girls in England and Wales. This marks its eighth consecutive year at the summit.
Ben excitedly disclosed: “Now then, breaking naming news. The UK’s top baby names have been revealed. Olivia is the most popular name for baby girls in England and Wales for the eighth year in a row.”
Continuing with the name rankings, he said: “Amelia and Isla came in second and third,” before Cat divulged that Muhammed had secured the pinnacle of the boys’ list.
Speaking to the viewers, she stated: ” Muhammed knocked Noah off the top spot, having been the most second popular name the year prior,” reports the Mirror.
Ben and Cat reunited on This Morning (Image: ITV)
Ben, the former Good Morning Britain host, proudly claimed his own spotlight, saying: “I’m in the top 100,” to which Cat questioned: “Are you?” He confirmed: “Yeah, Benjamin came in at 53rd on the list.”
Yet Cat was dubious that Ben’s 53rd place warranted much celebration, as he revealed: “There’s some bad news for Catherine’s though, you didn’t make the top 100.”
In a cheeky comeback, his co-star quipped: “I’m just rare; I’m like a rare exotic bird,” Ben responded with a hint of concern: “I think you’re going the same way as the Nigels. There were only 78 Catherines named last year.”
Ben Shephard and Cat on This Morning (Image: ITV)
Cat and Ben were deliberating the latest figures released on 5 December 2023, by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), showing Olivia as the prevailing choice in five regions across England and Wales, while Muhammed dominated in four out of nine regions.
The ONS dossier revealed that Noah had been nudged out of the top position, with Muhammed ascending to second place amongst boys’ names for 2022, a leap from fifth in 2021, solidifying its presence in the top ten since 2016.
Before the official statistics dropped, the buzz around nostalgic names staging a return was rife. In collaboration with baby boutique JoJo Maman Bebe, baby name expert Colleen Slagen anticipated a surge in classic monikers by 2025.
Colleen remarked: “Look out for Margot in 2025 as people are looking for feminine, classic-sounding [names like] Margot, Eloise, and Vivian. I think we’ll start seeing more traditional male names being chosen for girls, such as Drew, Noah, and Dylan.”
