[Denver]

HOLLY Willoughby has emerged as the firm favourite to replace Ant McPartlin on I'm A Celebrity, according to a new report.

Ant yesterday revealed that he is pulling out of hosting the hit ITV1 reality show this year.

A source told The Mirror: "Holly is very close friends with Ant and Dec and both she and Phil have been backing Ant since his troubles.

"Ant and Dec both love her and I am sure they'd be thrilled if she got the job.

"They share a management company so Holly already knows what being in the Jungle for weeks entails."

The insider added that producers were lining up a female replacement for the telly favourite "otherwise it would just look like a like-for-like replacement."

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbi...m-a-celebrity/