Phillip Schofield replacement: New favourite emerges as This Morning host - 'He's the frontrunner'

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on the This Morning set
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on the This Morning set
ITV
Ben Chapman

By Ben Chapman


Published: 27/05/2023

- 15:27

Updated: 27/05/2023

- 15:29

ITV's flagship daytime show has been thrown into chaos

Phillip Schofield’s departure from This Morning has let many wondering who his replacement may be.

ITV’s flagship daytime TV show has been presented primarily by the duo of Schofield and Holly Willoughby in recent years, but since the former’s departure, Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary have steered the ship.


The show has found itself in chaos during the row over Schofield’s future and his subsequent departure, a saga that has been further compounded by his admission to an affair with a much younger man.

A further point of discussion has been who will replace the TV host on the programme, with a new name coming to the fold.

Ben Shephard

Ben Shephard is a frontrunner in the race

PA

Good Morning Britain host Ben Shephard is now the favourite to take the reins, with Dermot O’Leary in second place.

Bookmaker Coral have given him odds of 4-5 to be the next permanent presenter of the daytime show alongside Holly Willoughby.

Coral's John Hill said in a statement: "Ben Shephard is no stranger to morning television, as he has been one of the faces of Good Morning Britain for the last nine years.

“If our odds are correct, he may be set to get a few more hours in bed in the morning, as we make him the new frontrunner to replace Philip Schofield on the 10am show on ITV.”

The bookmaker is also offering 2-1 on Dermot O’Leary, 3-1 on Alison Hammond, 3-1 Rylan Clark, 5-1 Rochelle Humes, 12-1 Richard Madeley, 16-1 Judy Finnigan.

The betting is listed under “the star most likely to replace Phillip Schofield as a permanent This Morning presenter in 2023”.

A spokesperson for ITV said the broadcaster was “deeply disappointed” by the “admissions of deceit” made by Schofield after the presenter admitted to the affair in a statement published by the Daily Mail on Friday.

Schofield, who also co-hosted Dancing On Ice with Willoughby, said he would also step down from presenting the British Soap Awards, his last public commitment.

The statement from ITV said that the broadcaster feels “badly let down”.

“We are deeply disappointed by the admissions of deceit made tonight by Phillip Schofield,” the spokesperson said.

“The relationships we have with those we work with are based on trust.

“Phillip made assurances to us which he now acknowledges were untrue and we feel badly let down.”

In his statement, Schofield apologised for lying about the relationship.

“The first thing I want to say is: I am deeply sorry for having lied to them (the Daily Mail), and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on This Morning,” he said.

“I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.”

He added that “contrary to speculation” the relationship was “not illegal”.

He said: “Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship.

“That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over.”

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