Entertainment

ITV Know Who's Going To Replace Holly Willoughby On 'This Morning' & OMG

by Alice Broster
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The last instalment of the reality TV calendar is yet to start but it is oh so close. Whilst a release date is yet to be announced, I’m A Celebrity usually launches in the middle of November. With just a month to go, that is not long for the show's new presenter, Holly Willoughby, to fly Down Under and get acclimatised before the madness begins. However, while she's overseeing Bushtucker Trials alongside Declan Donnelly, who who will replace Holly Willoughby on This Morning?

Fans have been speculating who will take over the reigns ever since Willoughby announced she would be joining Donnelly on this season's I’m A Celebrity. Whilst there has been no confirmation of who will be taking her seat on the sofa to co-host with Phillip Schofield, Willoughby revealed on Monday that her replacement has been decided by producers. Speaking on Good Morning Britain, she said: "We do [know who it is]… he's [Phillip Schofield] in very safe hands. Whenever I leave him, I want to make sure he’s looked after and he’s with somebody and it’s all nice." Well, that is very sweet.

I decided to reach out to a representative at ITV for further comment, however, they weren't about to give any secrets away. A spokesperson tells me: "Plans will be announced in due course."

But whilst everyone at This Morning is keeping Willoughby’s replacement under wraps, the bookies seem to think they have a pretty good idea of who will be gracing our screens in her absence. Check out who Betfair thinks are the favourites to become Schofield's new co-host.

1

Rylan Clark-Neal (5/6)

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From his early X Factor days, when Rylan Clark-Neal sat on Nicole Scherzinger's sofa, crying cried into her pillows (that probably cost more than my entire flat), he won the nation's heart. Six years on and Clark-Neal is now a regular on This Morning, hosting the entertainment segment of the show. He has also relief presented for Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes.

Clark-Neal has only hosted alongside Schofield once before, but has the time come for round two? Apparently so, according to Betfair, which favours him as the top guy to take on Willoughby's presenting gig for a few weeks.

2

Ruth Langsford (8/1)

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Ruth Langsford already makes up one half of one of my favourite presenting duos. Alongside husband Eamonn Holmes, Langsford keeps This Morning running on Fridays flawlessly. She knows what she is doing when it comes to This Morning as she has been a regular presenter on the show since 2006, and picks up the show in school holidays and when Willoughby and Schofield are on annual leave. And get this, she started on the show presenting next to Schofield, so you know the chemistry will be there.

3

Susanna Reid (8/1)

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She is essentially the Queen of morning TV. Co-presenting BBC Breakfast from 2003 to 2014 before moving on to ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Susanna Reid is well versed in waking up at the crack of dawn to entertain the nation. But given that she's already hosting GMB, would she have the energy to front This Morning as well?

Well, Betfair reckons she will definitely be able to juggle both and favours her fairly highly to replace Willoughby.

4

Caroline Flack (10/1)

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Caroline Flack is the face of Love Island, and Betfair thinks she could soon be the face of This Morning too. With an array of presenting credentials too long to list and a massive following on social media, Flack does seem like she'd be a great candidate fir th job.

Previously, she has presented a morning breakfast show on Heart and has done stints on both the X Factor and I’m A Celebrity, proving this gal is not afraid of any hard work.

5

Stephen Mulhern (20/1)

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A veteran presenter on ITV and a dab hand at a spot of magic, Betfair has put Stephen Mulhern in the mix to take Willoughby's spot whilst she is Down Under. No stranger to the show, Mulhern previously presented the hub segment of This Morning and has also stood in for presenters in their absence in the past.

I'm not sure about you, but Mulhern looks like he could be the right person for the job to me.

6

Mark Wright (20/1)

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If a cheeky duo is what ITV are looking for, I am not sure they could go far wrong with employing Mark Wright whilst Willoughby is away. Alongside Schofield, he could definitely get us laughing in the morning. Whilst he may have started his career on The Only Way Is Essex, Wright has since gone on to care out himself a career in presenting.

So far, he's hosted Take Me Out: The Gossip for ITV2, has hosted his own Club Classics radio show every Friday and Saturday evening on Heart Radio, and Extra over in the States.

7

Scarlett Moffatt (40/1)

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Scarlett Moffatt first burst onto our screens as one of the most memorable faces on Gogglebox. A few years later, she was signed up by ITV to take part in I'm A Celebrity, which she won in 2016. This opened so many doors for the reality star, who was then able to start carving out a career in presenting.

So far, she has hosted her own Channel 4 dating show, Streetmate, and in January 2017, was the backstage presenter for the National Television Awards. So, needless to say, she's definitely clocked up some pretty impressive experience. But is it enough to land her a gig on This Morning?

8

With ITV representatives promising a confirmation is in the pipe line, I can't wait to see who will be joining Schofield whilst Willoughby gets used to the Bushtucker Trials, creepy crawlies, and fun Down Under. Not long to go now.