JERMAINE Jenas’ likely replacements for The One Show have been revealed – with a Big Brother legend as the frontrunner.
The married ex-footballer, 41, was sacked from the BBC and taken off air from the teatime show, in addition to Match Of The Day, following complaints about “inappropriate behaviour”.
Odds are now on as to who will fill Jermaine’s shoes on The One Show and they include the Celebrity BB star, an Olympic icon and a Morning Live host.
According to BetIdeas, Rylan Clark is favourite to replace Jermaine with odds of 9/2.
The star, who originally found fame on The X Factor in 2012, has forged a successful presenting career since the singing contest and his subsequent appearance on Celebrity Big Brother.
He went on to land a job as the host of Celebrity’s Big Brother’s Bit On The Side, before presenting Supermarket Sweep and co-leading Strictly Come Dancing‘s spin-off It Takes Two and the Eurovision Song Contest‘s commentary.
Rylan has also been a regular stand-in host for This Morning and helped steer the ITV daytime juggernaught multiple times.
Lee Astley, spokesperson for BetIdeas, said: “The news of Jermaine Jenas’ sacking from The One Show on BBC has kickstarted the rumour mill on who will replace him as a permanent host, with Rylan Clark a solid chance in the betting.
“Rylan, a man well-versed in the world of television presenting with stints on ITV’s This Morning and the Eurovision Song Contest, has been given odds of 9/2 to assume the vacancy left by Jenas as a presenter on BBC’s hit chat show.”
The bookies’ also have good odds on both Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley taking the job, along with Morning Live’s Gethin Jones.
“Gethin Jones, one of Wales’s most prominent presenters, has odds of 7/2 as the market leader for the position, with Great Britain’s own Olympic gold medallist, Tom Daley, at longer odds of 8/1 to fill the role since his retirement from professional diving,” Lee added.
Jermaine was given the boot after a female colleague on The One Show raised concerns over alleged flirty texts.
Others also came forward amid a probe into digital communications allegedly sent by him.
The investigation was spearheaded by new BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski.
Married Jenas’ sacking comes weeks after he was named Ally of the Year at the Women’s Football Awards.
A source: “This latest incident of alleged misconduct in the workplace is the last thing the BBC needed. It has shocked, and rocked, everyone.
“The first complaint was raised after Jermaine flirtily messaged a female member of staff on The One Show, and she raised her misgivings in a formal capacity.
“The BBC knows it cannot now ignore concerns or complaints so after immediate routine enquiries the decision was taken to take him off air, and terminate his contract.
“They acted swiftly and decisively.”
Jermaine has now broken his silence on his sacking.
He told The Sun via a spokesperson: “Right now I can’t talk about it.
“I can tell you I’m not happy – there are two sides to every story – and I’m going to be speaking with my lawyers on the issue.”
