Her silence hasn't exactly helped to dampen the tabloid speculation but Gráinne Seoige is definitely not in line for a permanent job on the GMTV couch, the Sunday Tribune can reveal.

The RTÉ star, who recently announced her separation from her husband, has been strongly linked with a move across the Irish Sea to ITV, but senior sources at the station say that Seoige has not and will not be offered a full-time gig.

The Galwegian was the subject of much hype after a stint presenting the Cheltenham races for the morning programme and other temporary presenting assignments.

She has only added fuel to the fire by offering "no comment" to reporters, but if the mother-of-one is holding out hope for stardom in the UK she may be left disappointed.

A senior GMTV source said: "One newspaper became fascinated with the story. They saw that we were looking for a co-presenter for Adrian Chiles. Then they saw Gráinne covering the sports and then put two and two together and got 124.

"She did cover the sports well and while we would consider using her again for bits and pieces, it will not be a permanent sort of thing. No one is denying that she did a very good job but it is just not going to happen."

Hundreds of emails allegedly flooded in from fans in the UK after she presented coverage of the Cheltenham festival, adding to speculation that station management would bring Seoige on board full-time.

Another source in GMTV said that although the station was undergoing a shake-up in a bid to boost viewing figures, this never meant a permanent position for the 36-year-old.

"We are undergoing a revamp and expect it to all be in place by September. But to say this means Gráinne will become a permanent fixture is all pure speculation. No decisions of any sort have been made. I'm certainly not aware of anything permanent even in the pipeline."

Seoige had worked on British television before when she presented news bulletins for Sky. The star is said to be keen to concentrate on her presenting career after announcing her split from husband Stephen Cullinane.

The two announced their separation earlier this month after eight years of marriage, but continue to live under the same roof for "financial and personal" reasons, and for the sake of Gráinne's 16-year-old son Conall. Seoige and Cullinane are understood to remain "good friends".