Edith Bowman used to present a radio show with Cat Deeley

Presenter Edith Bowman has quit the show by mutual agreement, the broadcaster has said.

The show had undergone a radical relaunch at the beginning of the year with a new set and a new line-up of presenters.

Bowman was the only presenter to survive the cull which saw the departure of sports presenter Kirsty Gallagher, Chris Rogers and Liz Bonnin.

But now she is to leave when her contract expires.

A spokesman for Rise said her move was to allow her to pursue other projects and that a replacement is being sought.

Iain Lee will continue to present the show along with comedy duo Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins.

Rise has failed to ignite viewers imagination and it has struggled in the ratings since it launched as a replacement to the Big Breakfast in April 2002.

It boasted of being different to other morning shows by having five main presenters led by Judith Chalmers' son Mark Durden-Smith.

But its tabloid-style show did not bring in the expected audience that had deserted the Big Breakfast in its final years.

All five presenters will have left within a year of the show starting

In its heyday the Big Breakfast, hosted by Chris Evans and Gaby Roslin, reached audiences of two million.

But after a number of line-up changes the death knell was sounded for the show as Channel 4 looked for a fresh and lively replacement.

Rise's 2003 relaunch, which saw the studio move to Whiteley's shopping centre in Bayswater, central London, has done nothing to increase its number of viewers.

It has been averaging between 100,000 and 200,000 viewers a day between 0700 and 0900 every morning.

This compares to audiences of up to 500,000 for children's programme the Bear in the Big Blue House on Five.