Craig Doyle has become the new favourite to replace Philip Schofield on This Morning following his dramatic exit after 20 years of presenting the ITV show. The 61-year-old has made headlines recently for his sensational departure from the daytime talk show amid reports of a rift between him and co-star Holly Willoughby.
He was later dropped by ITV altogether after confessing to having an affair with a younger colleague around early 2020 - which he denied at the time. This Morning is now set to undergo an external review as a boss at the broadcaster has asked a barrister to carry out a full-scale review of facts after Philip left on May 20.
In the wake of his withdrawal as host, a several names have been put forward to replace his job on the programme. One of them being Craig Doyle, who, according to BoyleSports, has become the new 5/2 favourite to take over the role.
Spokesperson Lawrence Lyons added: "Craig stood in for Dermot [O'Leary] on the show last week and it seemed to have sparked an interest with viewers who are now betting on him to land the gig. Social media lit up with praise for Doyle as he hosted alongside Alison Hammond which wouldn’t have gone unnoticed with ITV bosses."
The Irish TV and radio presenter has worked with the likes of the BBC, RTE and ITV many times throughout his career. He kick started his career in journalism with a stint at BBC Radio Suffolk before moving to ITV to present children's show Disney Club.
He later went on to work at the BBC for a number of years as a BBC Sport presenter, as well as joining ITV Sport in 2008. In 2010, he launched his own talk show called Tonight with Craig Doyle and became an investigative reporter on Lorraine.
In more recent years, he has occasionally presented ITV's This Morning since 2021. The 52-year-old and lives in Co Wicklow with his wife, Doon Huston Doyle, and their four children. The couple, who met through friends, got married in 2007 after years of dating.
Other names suggested as possible candidates for Philip Schofield's replacement include Dermot O’Leary, Alison Hammond, Rochelle Humes, Rylan Clark and Josie Gibson - who are all regular stand-ins on the show.
Rylan Clarke currently ties with Craig for the job role at 5/2, while Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary stand at 3/1.
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