Rylan Clark hot favourite to replace Phillip Schofield…

Rylan Clark hot favourite to replace Phillip Schofield after Radio 2 announcement

Rylan Clark has joined the frontrunners in the race to replace Phillip Schofield on the This Morning sofa.

The 61-year-old presenter this weekend announced his departure after two decades on the sofa following an alleged 'feud' with former co-star Holly Willoughby.

The chase for the sofa is heating up and Rylan has gone from 4/1 to just 7/2 - meaning he is the joint-second favourite for the permanent job.

The former X-Factor star has announced he is taking a break from his BBC Radio 2 show, just hours after Phillip quit This Morning.

The bookies have reacted to the news by slashing his odds.

Could Rylan Clark and Holly Willoughby be the future of This Morning? (S Meddle/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Alison Hammond continues to lead the way for the gig, with Rylan now joining Dermot O'Leary as joint-second favourite.

The pair fronted the show on Monday, sitting in for Holly who will take a two-week break following the fall-out.

Rochelle Humes is a 6/1 bet with Bradley Walsh and Joel Dommett not far behind.

Josie Gibson is 10/1 to step up and replace Schofie.

Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: "All eyes will no doubt be on the This Morning sofa over the next few weeks, and the odds suggest ITV chiefs could pull a sensational U-turn by bringing back Rylan for a permanent seat alongside Holly."

Phillip Schofield announced on Saturday that he was stepping aside (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Rylan's odds have suddenly been slashed (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Rylan is no stranger to featuring on the This Morning sofa having been a regular present as well as a guest in recent years

He told his fans he had to make an announcement regarding the future of his programme on Saturday.

He revealed he would be taking some time away from the show, saying: "This is where I should say ladies I won't be catching up with you next week.

"Because I am off to do some other bits and bobs so I'm not going to be here for a fair few weeks."

The 34-year-old's career as a TV host began in 2013 when he co-hosted Big Brother 's Bit on the Side, the spin-off section to Big Brother - which he won that same year.

Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary were on the sofa this morning (ITV)

Since then he has provided gossip sections on This Morning, as well as being a 'relief presenter' on the show, hosting alongside Ruth Langsford, Lorraine Kelly, Alison, Gok Wan and others.

Alison and Dermot addressed the weekend announcement in the opening to this morning's show.

“We can’t start today’s show without paying tribute to the man who spent the last two decades sitting on the This Morning sofa,” she said.

“Quite simply, we all know he is one of the best live TV broadcasters this country has ever had, and we and all the team wish him all the best for the future.”

Dermot added: “As a show, everyone on an off-screen at ITV and This Morning want to say a huge thank you to Phil for everything he has done over the last 21 years."