TV presenter Fern Britton has signed a new two-year deal to front This Morning, according to the Mirror. The paper reports that the new deal follows several weeks of negotiations in which the 50-year-old was demanding a 10 per cent rise on her £700,000 per year salary. "I'm delighted to continue my work with This Morning and looking forward to developing new opportunities with ITV," Fern said. However, she is thought to have agreed to work for the same amount - with the paper claiming that recently controversy over her gastric band surgery had put paid to her pay rise. And ITV bosses are also said to have blocked her plans for a sideline in plus-size clothing. The controversy erupted after Fern confessed she had had gastric band surgery to help her lose weight, despite her saying she had dropped from a size 22 to a size 16 through diet and exercise. After the scandal broke she took leave from This Morning, citing "nervous exhaustion".
