Carol Vorderman 'would put money' on who will replace Phillip Schofield

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Carol Vorderman has predicted who will be replacing Phillip Schofield on This Morning, and she’s already a TV favourite.

The 61-year-old host announced he was stepping down from the ITV daytime programme after more than 20 years, with Holly Willoughby going on to continue presenting with other members of the This Morning team.

The pair were said to be ‘barely speaking’ behind-the-scenes and it was claimed that their relationship had ‘cooled’, with Phil stepping down after ‘a very difficult last few days’.

Phil’s departure from the show came a week before he released a statement admitting to have a relationship with a much younger man who worked as a runner on This Morning.

In a lengthy statement to the Daily Mail, Phil said their relationship was ‘more than a friendship’ and insisted it was ‘unwise but not illegal’, and confessed that he had lied about the relationship to his bosses and colleagues, and would now be stepping down from ITV with ‘immediate effect’.

As the story continued to unfold, former Countdown star Carol weighed in on who could step in to replace Phil.

During an appearance on Have I Got News For You, which was filmed before the news about Phil’s affair broke, Carol hinted Alison Hammond would take on the new permanent role, alongside Holly.

‘Probably Holly and Alison, I would have thought,’ the 62-year-old said, denying that she would be taking over the role.

‘That’s where I’d put my money,’ she added.

Though it has yet to be confirmed who will be taking on the permanent role, the new Great British Bake Off host was recently said to be ‘likely’ to spend more time in London filming This Morning.

An insider told The Sun: ‘It’s looking highly likely she will be asked to do more days a week on This Morning — and therefore she will be spending more time in London.’

Alison was previously rumoured to be hosting with Holly after Phil took a break during his brother Timothy Schofield’s trial.

The temporary This Morning partnership was such a huge hit with viewers that bosses are said to be looking to pair them up more often.

One source spilled: ‘It was a super-clever idea to slot Alison in with Holly, and it worked so well.

‘It was a new dynamic for Holly who has starred with Phil almost every time she has appeared on This Morning for nearly 14 years.

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‘The bosses are absolutely delighted with their decision to put them together and want to find ways to do it more often.’

They added to the Mail On Sunday at the time that while ‘nobody’s supposed to discuss Phil’s future’ on the programme, it has been hot topic ever since Holly and Alison hosted together.

The 48-year-old filled in Monday’s instalment of This Morning with Dermot, 50, where the pair addressed Phil’s departure.

At the start of Monday’s episode, Alison said: ‘Now, 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, Phillip Schofield.’

Phillip Schofield’s departure from This Morning after 20 years has been confirmed by ITV, days after a rumoured fallout with Holly Willoughby. The 61-year-old and his daytime television co-host, 41, have been the centre of speculation after it was reported they were ‘barely speaking’ behind-the-scenes and that their relationship had ‘cooled’. It has since been announced that Phil will be stepping down while Holly will remain, and they have already presented their last programme together. #metronews #metrouknews #philipschofield #itvthismorning #hollywilloughby #itv #thismorningitv #thismorning #phillipschofield #phillipschofield #newsfyp #newstok #itvfyp #breakingnews #fyp #phillipschofieldfallout #itvthismorning #thismorningitv #fyp #steppingdown #phillipschofieldquits

Dermot continued: ‘So, as a show, everyone on and off screen at ITV, and This Morning, want to say a huge thank you to Phil for what he’s done to make this show such a success over the last 21 years.’

Alison hailed him as ‘one of the best’, adding: ‘Quite simply, we all know he’s one of the best live television broadcasters this country has ever had. And we and all the team wish him all the best for the future.’

Phil’s departure from the show came a week before, after years of speculation, he released a statement admitting to have a relationship with a much younger man who worked as a runner on This Morning.

Phillip Schofield’s statement in full:

The statement in full reads: ‘I am making this statement via the Daily Mail to whom I have already apologised personally for misleading, through my lawyer who I also misled, about a story which they wanted to write about me a few days ago.

‘The first thing I want to say is: I am deeply sorry for having lied to them, and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on This Morning. I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.

‘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. 

‘When I chose to come out I did so entirely for my own wellbeing. Nobody “forced” me out. Neither I nor anyone else, to my knowledge, has ever issued an injunction, super or otherwise, about my relationship with this colleague, he was never moved on or sacked by or because of me.’

He continues: ‘In an effort to protect my ex-colleague I haven’t been truthful about the relationship. But my recent, unrelated, departure from This Morning fuelled speculation and raised questions which have been impacting him, so for his sake it is important for me to be honest now.

‘I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife.’

‘I have therefore decided to step down from the British Soap Awards, my last public commitment, and am resigning from ITV with immediate effect expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me,’ Phil said.

‘I will reflect on my very bad judgement in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it.

‘To protect his privacy, I am not naming this individual and my deepest wish is that both he and his family can now move on with their lives free from further intrusion, and that this statement will enable them to do so. I ask the media now to respect their privacy. They have done nothing wrong, and I ask that their privacy should be respected.’

In a lengthy statement to the Daily Mail, Phil said their relationship was ‘more than a friendship’ and insisted it was ‘unwise but not illegal’.

In his statement provided to the outlet, he said the relationship occurred while Phil was still married to his wife of 30 years, Stephanie Lowe, the mother of his two daughters – Ruby and Molly – and before he came out as gay.

He also confessed that he lied about the relationship to his bosses and colleagues, resulting in him being dropped by his agent of 35 years.

Phil went on to say that he has ‘stepped down’ from hosting the British Soap Awards, which are just days away and has  resigned from ITV with ‘immediate effect’.

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1.

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