Speculation is building about who will replace Phillip Schofield as This Morning host - with Bristol's Josie Gibson among the favourites. Phil stepped down from This Morning with "immediate effect" over the weekend, as ITV released a statement confirming the presenter's departure.
The 61-year-old, who had sat on the sofa alongside Fern Britton and then Holly Willoughby amongst a host of other presenters, is waving goodbye to the flagship daytime show after more than two decades of presenting it. ITV has shared that Holly will continue to present the programme, once she has returned from a break next month, alongside "members of the This Morning family" until the broadcaster finds Phil's replacement.
Meanwhile, fan favourites Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary are due to step in and present today's instalment of the show. The Daily Record reports that bookmakers Ladbrokes has shared its odds for those most likely to replace Phil and present This Morning alongside Holly permanently.
Read more: This Morning Phil Schofield tribute paid by stand-in hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary
His exit from This Morning comes after the pair's friendship allegedly decayed over the course of a few years, especially in recent months, as Phil's absence from the show last month apparently led to a "cooling" of their friendship.
There are a number of front runners who could take Phil's place on the daily talk show, including top name Alison Hammond 2/1 odds, followed by Big Brother Alum Rylan Clark at 3/1. Other contenders include Dermot O'Leary and past guest hosts like singer Rochelle Humes and Italian chef Gino D'Acampo.
Following Phil's departure, here is a look at the runners and riders who could replace him on the sofa.
Alison Hammond
A firm favourite with fans of This Morning, Alison is the top contender for Phil's role, with 2/1 odds. The beloved Brummie presenter shot to fame in 2002 after appearing in the third Big Brother series and joined the This Morning family that same year.
It has been a big year for Alison so far, as she was announced as the new host of the Great British Bake Off in March. The hit baking show will return to Channel 4 this autumn, with Alison joining presenter Noel Fielding in the tent following the departure of Matt Lucas.
Rylan Clark
Rylan Clark is the second most popular replacement for Phil, with odds of 3/1. The X Factor star, who appeared in the 2012 edition of the televised talent competition, used to regularly host segments on This Morning, and has stepped in to present the show on a number of occasions before leaving in 2021.
Just hours after it was announced that Phil was quitting This Morning, Rylan announced that he would be taking a break from his BBC Radio Two show. Celebrity Big Brother winner Rylan, 34, fronts his own show every Saturday from 3pm until 6pm, although he informed listeners on Saturday that he would be stepping back to "do some other bits and bobs".
Dermot O'Leary
With odds of 4/1, Dermot currently presents the Friday instalment of This Morning alongside Alison and has done since Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes left the sofa in 2021. The 49-year-old has worked with ITV for around 15 years, with his first role with the broadcaster coming as the host of The X Factor, after Kate Thornton left the show.
Rochelle Humes
Former The Saturdays singer Rochelle has been given odds of 6/1. Rochelle has been a regular guest host on This Morning since 2013, when she joined the show with her husband, JLS star Marvin Humes.
Rochelle stood in for Holly back in 2018 when she temporarily presented I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! alongside Dec Donnelly as Ant McPartlin took time away from the Australia-filmed show for personal reasons. Previously, the 34-year-old has presented the likes of Ninja Warrior UK, Lorraine, The Xtra Factor, and The Hit List.
Marvin Humes
Rochelle's husband Marvin follows swiftly behind her, with odds of 8/1. The former JLS singer, who has joined Rochelle on This Morning on a number of occasions in the last decade, said last year that he had no plans to return to the sofa, although he didn't completely rule it out.
"Never say never but that's sort of Roch's family now - it's her thing and it kind of makes sense for it to be how it is," Marvin, 38, told Heat, adding that his wife is "so good at that job".
Josie Gibson
Bristol's very own Josie Gibson is said to be another star favoured for the top job at ITV, with odds of 10/1. After joining the This Morning family in 2019, Josie has become something of a legend amongst viewers, who love her strong Westcountry accent and hilarious conversations with her best friend, Alison.
Josie, who shot to fame after winning Big Brother back in 2010, has presented the show alongside Vernon Kay and Craig Doyle. She often announces competitions and hosts segments, with her latest appearance on the show seeing her walk two Kunekune pigs through the Welsh mountains.
Gino D'Acampo
With odds of 25/1, Gino would be a surprise edition to This Morning sofa. The famous Italian chef became a household name through his appearances in the This Morning kitchen, famously reducing Holly and Phil to fits of laughter whilst whipping up a classic carbonara on the show in 2010.
The 46-year-old is also known for his appearances on Celebrity Juice and was crowned King of the Jungle on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2009. In 2020, he became the host of ITV's Family Fortunes.
Click here for more TV and celebrity news.
Read more:
George Logan of Hinge and Bracket has died, aged 78
Remembering the time Julie Walters settled down with a cup of tea outside Bristol UWE
Boris Johnson's wife Carrie pregnant with couple's third child
Carol Vorderman reveals she eats 'smelly' food on commute from Bristol to London
EastEnders' Cindy Beale will return to soap after 25 years in shock Ian Beale twist
