Next Dancing On Ice Hosts Odds: Josie Gibson In Line To Replace Holly
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Dancing on Ice's 16th series is just weeks away, but all the talk on betting sites is about who will co-host the show, rather than which celebrity will be victorious.
There is definitely one position vacant after former This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield left ITV earlier this year, after he admitted to lying about having an affair with a younger ITV employee.
But his Dancing on Ice co-host Holly Willoughby is yet to confirm whether she is returning to the programme or not, after she also departed This Morning in 2023.
ITV are yet to confirm an exact start date for series 16, but in recent years Dancing on Ice has started in mid-January, meaning there could be just over three weeks until launch night.
Holly quit This Morning earlier this year and she has since kept quiet about whether she will return to co-host Dancing on Ice, and Gambling.com make the star 4/6 not to come back, while it is 6/4 that she does return.
Stephen Mulhern is the hot odds-on favourite to replace Phillip on the ice-skating series, but who will replace Holly should she step aside?
Jungle Josie Favourite For Ice Job
Fresh from her time in the I'm A Celebrity jungle earlier this month, This Morning presenter Josie Gibson is the 6/4 favourite on new betting sites to take over from Holly.
Since Holly departed the brunch-time show, Josie has seamlessly stepped in to present numerous episodes of the programme and she could be a perfect replacement on the ice, too.
On Thursday, a TV insider told The Sun newspaper: "Josie’s stint in the jungle shows she has the perfect blend of humility, confidence, humour and unflappability.
"And she’s already proved she’s able to handle live TV during her time as a co-host on This Morning where she’s also developed quite a following among viewers.
"ITV will be hoping she’ll bring that popularity across to Dancing on Ice, if she ends up bagging the job in Holly’s absence."
It is also claimed ITV bosses are "still hoping Holly will sign up" for the 16th series, but if she doesn't there will be no shortage of applicants.
Christine To Return?
Like Josie, Rochelle Humes has also presented plenty of This Morning episodes following Holly's departure - and she is just 5/2 on specials betting sites to take over on Dancing on Ice.
Christine Lampard, who has been an ITV favourite for years, will also be in the conversation and she has vital Dancing on Ice presenting experience.
The star co-hosted the show alongside Phillip in Holly's absence from 2012 to 2014 and is now just 4/1 to return to the ice on a permanent basis.
Other candidates are likely to include Josie's good pal and This Morning colleague Alison Hammond, and Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon.
Alison is 6/1 for the job, but the star has a lot going on co-hosting both This Morning, every Friday with Dermot O'Leary, and The Great British Bake Off.
Alesha is also no stranger to live TV, but she is a 10/1 outsider for Holly's job. ITV said: "Further announcements regarding Dancing On Ice will be made in due course."
Ice Role For Stephen
While it is still up in the air about whether Holly will return, Phillip's replacement seems more straightforward.
Stephen is just 1/5 on betting apps, from 1/2 in August, for the position after he recently confirmed he has been in talks with ITV.
Mulhern told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I'm going to be brutally honest with you, I had the association with Defrosted when it was the spinoff show and when Phil was unwell I stood in, and I loved it. I absolutely loved it back with Holly. We had a great time. It's fun. And the response on social media was amazing.
"We are talking about Dancing on Ice. but I promise you now nothing has been agreed. I've not said yes, and I haven't said no. Would I do it?
"Do you know something, I think it'd be silly not to do it. But nothing has been fully agreed. It would be great to work with Holly again and if they said, 'Is there any stipulation?'
"I would say, 'Yeah they have got to be faster on the ice even on their first go.' "
Should Stephen do the unthinkable and turn it down then Josie and Alison's This Morning co-host Dermot O'Leary is 5/1 to take over.
Josie's former jungle campmate Marvin Humes could even be a surprise candidate.
He is 8/1 to land the role, which could see a camp reunion for the pair if Josie also signs up.
Or, if Marvin's wife Rochelle was to take over from Holly then the showbiz power couple - who have presented This Morning together and co-hosted BBC's music quiz show The Hit List - could team up on TV once again.
Elsewhere, dancer Jordan Banjo (10/1), former Dancing on Ice competitor Kem Cetinay (14/1), and Rylan Clark (20/1) are outsiders, and it is a massive 100/1 that Phillip makes a shock Dancing on Ice return.
Refund or free bet when one selection in an accumulator lets the bet down
Refund or free bet when one selection in an accumulator lets the bet down
Refund or free bet when one selection in an accumulator lets the bet down
Who Will Replace Holly Willoughby: Our Verdict Says Josie
Should Holly step away from the ice, Josie would be an ideal replacement. She has proved from her time presenting This Morning that she can handle live TV with ease.
The former Big Brother star showed on I'm A Celebrity that she is very much a fan favourite with her funny quips and happy demeanour.
She had the backing of the public on the programme, finishing fourth in the jungle, and would no doubt be well supported on Dancing on Ice.
It would be a big, and well deserved, boost to Josie's career to land a prime-time show like Dancing on Ice.
It would also be lovely to see two of the supposedly nicest people in show business, Josie and Stephen, team up to give the ice-skating series a new look in 2024.
* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.
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