Holly Willoughby still favourite to become new Strictly Come Dancing presenter - despite car crash court case

The former This Morning host was charged with driving without due care and attention, and while pleading guilty via post, did not appear at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court for sentencing.

According to the Telegraph, magistrates were shown footage of a man being thrown from his white Piaggio scooter by Willoughby, 44, who was behind the wheel of her Mini Cooper near her home in London on August 28.

The TV presenter did not indicate when turning, and the incident left the bike rider with a fractured neck and broken toe. Willoughby was given six penalty points on her licence and ordered to pay £2,444 in fines and court costs.

But the incident has not hindered her chances of becoming one of the new presenters for Strictly Come Dancing, it would seem. Hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will both step down at the end of the current series - although they will still be around for the Christmas special - and the hunt is on for their replacements.

According to Shane Orton from SportsCasting.com, Willoughby is still in pole position for the job.

He said: “Ever since Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman confirmed they’re stepping down, attention has quickly shifted to who might take over. Holly Willoughby now leads the betting at 3/1, with Fleur East close behind at 7/2. Both already have a history with Strictly, which makes them natural early favourites in the race to front the show.

“There’s also strong interest in Anton Du Beke, who sits at 6/1. After moving successfully from the ballroom to the judging panel, many see him as a plausible candidate to step up again.

“Alongside names like Bradley Walsh, Roman Kemp and Zoe Ball, the field is stacked - and it’s shaping up to be one of the most closely watched decisions the BBC will make this year.”

Here are the full odds for who might replace Daly and Winkleman:

Holly Willoughby 3/1

Fleur East 7/2

Bradley Walsh 5/1

Roman Kemp 5/1

Zoe Ball 5/1

Anton Du Beke 6/1

Angela Scanlon 7/1

Janette Manrara 7/1

Gethin Jones 8/1

Ashley Roberts 9/1

Maya Jama 9/1

Rylan Clark 10/1

Stacey Solomon 10/1

Alison Hammond 12/1

Alex Scott 14/1

Emma Willis 14/1

Helen Skelton 14/1

Stacey Dooley 14/1

AJ Odudu 16/1

Alex Jones 16/1

Maura Higgins 16/1

Rochelle Humes 16/1

Dermot O’Leary 20/1

La Voix 20/1

Vicky Pattison 20/1

Graham Norton 25/1

Stephen Mulhern 25/1

Vernon Kay 25/1