BBC Strictly’s Angela Scanlon ‘frontrunner to replace Holly Willoughby on This Morning’

Angela Scanlon, 39, has emerged as a frontrunner to take over from Holly Willoughby on the This Morning sofa.

The TV presenter, who is currently competing on Strictly Come Dancing with pro dancer Carlos Gu, has had her odds slashed from 18/1 to 6/1, making her a serious frontrunner for the major gig.

Discussing the dramatic change in odds, Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: "Angela Scanlon’s stint on Strictly Come Dancing seems to be working wonders for her career.

"Following a surge of interest overnight, we have been forced to dramatically slash her odds to replace Holly Willoughby on This Morning.

She continued: "While there are still plenty of names in the mix, this latest development suggests Scanlon is very much in the running for a seat on the TV’s most famous daytime couch."

And while Angela could prove a popular choice, Alison Hammond remains the favourite at 11/10, while Big Brother star Josie Gibson is 2/1.

Other names in the mix include Rochelle Humes at 6/1, Kate Garraway at 8/1 and Abbey Clancy at 10/1.

It comes after it was reported that ITV bosses are holding live auditions to find the perfect stars to present the show.

Sources at the network say that they will 'test the chemistry and likeability' of a number of potential anchors, the Daily Mail reports.

The sources told the paper they were looking for a woman as they still hoped to sign Good Morning Britain's Ben Shephard, 48, to take over Phillip Schofield's role in January next year.

One insider told the outlet: "There will be a mix of different hosts over the coming weeks as bosses screen test various contenders, some who will have been on the show before and some won't.

"It's an obvious way to test chemistry, likeability, and the sheer skill of presenters to see if they can make hosting a live two and a half hour show look easy.

"The show requires a solid pairing that look and feel comfortable and have the ability to swiftly navigate from the light-hearted moments through to the tougher ones.

Both Holly and Phillip left the show this year, with Holly announcing on October 10 that she'd made the "difficult" decision to step off the sofa after 14 years at the helm.

Writing on her Instagram, she told her fans: "This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we’ve done together.

And a few months earlier Phillip quit the show, and was later axed from ITV entirely, after admitted to having an affair with a much younger colleague.

An external review of the circumstances around Phillip's departure is currently underway.

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