Phillip Schofield will be absent from the next series of Dancing on Ice after his controversial exit from ITV - and insiders are now claiming his replacement has been found. Last month, having quit his job as This Morning presenter after 21 years following reports of tension on set, Phillip assured fans he would be staying with ITV and would be at the helm of this year's Soap Awards.
However, the situation then drastically changed when Phillip admitted to having an affair with a much younger This Morning employee, confessing to lying about the 'unwise but not illegal' relationship to his family, ITV bosses and agents. As he was dropped by his agents, Phillip left ITV with immediate effect, with Soap Awards bosses facing a race against time to find a replacement host - who is now also rumoured to take up the Dancing on Ice role, according to The Mirror.
The likes of Joel Dommett and Dermot O'Leary were hotly tipped to take over, but it now might go to the same star who replaced him as British Soap Awards host - national treasure Jane McDonald, star of The Cruise, Loose Women and her own hit Channel 5 series Cruising with... who got the job. Within minutes of the Soap Awards airing on ITV, many viewers were calling for her to get the job on a full time basis, with it then being revealed that Jane and friend Sue would be in the Celebrity Gogglebox cast for the new run of the Channel 4 show.
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If rumours are to be believed, Jane will be back on primetime TV in the new year, as a presenter on Dancing on Ice. Phillip had hosted the show from day one, but his ITV departure leaves room for another star and sources claim ITV execs were massively impressed with Jane at the Soap Awards and are now considering her for the position.
According to the Mirror, one insider said: “Jane is now the favourite to replace Phillip on Dancing on Ice when it returns next year. She did a great job hosting the Soap Awards earlier this month and bosses are keen to sign her up."
They added: "She had people in stitches – and they love how frank she is, while also being very warm."
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