LONDON -- Sue Perkins is the new favourite to host Top Gear following a flurry of bets, bookmaker Coral say.
The Great British Bake Off co-presenter has replaced The X Factor's Dermot O'Leary as the most likely candidate to step into Jeremy Clarkson's shoes after he was sacked from the show for physically and verbally abusing a producer.
Perkins took to Twitter in the early hours of Friday morning UK time to hit back at apparent sexist abuse from "middle-aged man trolls" following the news.
Just back from night shoot in Kolkata sewers to find my timeline busy with middle-aged man-trolls. General gist: Man do cars, woman do cake— Sue Perkins (@sueperkins) April 9, 2015
Anyway, whatever bullshit is blowing in the UK, I wish you all night night from steamy Bengal. Xx— Sue Perkins (@sueperkins) April 9, 2015
The odds on Perkins taking the role are now evens, with Dermot O'Leary at 2-1. Presenter and model Jodie Kidd, who was a finalist in Celebrity Masterchef last year, is third at 5-2.
Veteran broadcaster Chris Evans (6-1), comedian and actor Steve Coogan (10-1) and comedian John Bishop (14-1) are also in the frame. A recent online petition calling for Coogan's comedy character Alan Partridge to be the next presenter has garnered nearly 35,000 supporters.
Coral are offering 1-3 odds on a female hosting Top Gear when it returns to TV screens.
Clarkson was suspended on Mar 10 before an internal BBC investigation and the decision to not renew his contract. Over a million people called for him to be reinstated.
Top Gear branding has been stripped from the forthcoming live dates, which are now taking place under a new name: Clarkson, Hammond & May Live.
Clarkson pulled out of hosting a forthcoming episode of Have I Got News For You Thursday, but is expected to return to the show later in the year.