Rising TV star reveals he could be set to replace Philip Schofield on This Morning – and jokes he could land the gig because he is not ‘an a***hole’
Joel Dommett has revealed he could replace Philip Schofield on This Morning.
The rising TV star, 38 – host of The Masked Singer and newly revamped reality show Survivor – had a brief stint with Holly Willoughby, 42, in March before quitting the ITV daytime show.
Joel admitted that he would like to continue with the co-hosting gig and believes he would be a good choice, joking that he might take the gig because he’s not an “asshole.”
The joker told The sun of his time as co-host of This Morning: ‘It was really fun. As a comedian, I enjoy approaching scenarios where you go from what would be seen as a funny segment to a fairly serious mode.
‘I enjoyed that challenge. I just have to keep working hard and not be an asshole.”
Oh! Joel Dommett, 38, has revealed he could replace Philip Schofield on This Morning and believes he would be a good choice because he’s not a ‘bastard’.
On trial: The rising TV star had a short trial stint with Holly in March before quitting the ITV daytime show
Joel’s comments come as MailOnline revealed ITV bosses have decided to hold live auditions to find the perfect star to replace Holly on the This Morning bank in the coming weeks.
With presenter Josie Gibson, 38, who hosts two or three times a week, heading to Australia to appear on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, executives are taking the opportunity to audition for a presenter who will take over when the program relaunches in the new year.
Sources at the network say they will “test the chemistry and likability” of some potential anchors.
They also say they are primarily looking for a woman as they hope to still sign Ben Shephard, 48, to take over the role of Phillip Schofield in January, as they originally planned to pair him with Holly .
Bosses were thrilled with their partnership when they tried Ben out with her last month.
An insider told the Mail: ‘There will be a mix of different hosts over the coming weeks as bosses screen different contenders, some who have been on the show before and some who haven’t.
‘There is a large existing group of presenters, both male and female, who have performed before, but bosses will also look outside the show to try out potential new faces.
‘It’s an obvious way to test the chemistry, likability and sheer skill of presenters to see if they can make hosting a two-and-a-half hour live show look easy.
Former frontman: Phillip quit the show in May after admitting he had an ‘ill-advised’ affair with a younger male colleague, while Holly quit weeks ago after a kidnapping threat
Tryouts: ITV bosses have decided to hold live auditions in the coming weeks to find the perfect star to replace Holly Willoughby on the This Morning sofa
“The show requires a solid duo that looks and feels comfortable and has the ability to quickly navigate from the lighthearted moments to the more difficult ones.
‘Bosses have been inundated with suggestions for the next This Morning duo but they will take their time to get it right, but there is huge interest from agents calling on behalf of their clients.’
Front runners to replace Holly, who quit two weeks ago after hosting This Morning for 14 years, are Kate Garraway and Davina McCall.
While the chefs are keen for Ben to host, they have also considered married couples like Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty and Emma and Matt Willis, but at the moment it seems unlikely that will happen.
Claims that Abbey Clancy and Storm Huntley are being considered for the role are untrue, while senior ITV executives believe Josie and Alison Hammond are too lightweight to become the main anchors.
It is also considered ‘highly unlikely’ that Rochelle Humes will get the job.