From a humble background as a former shop assistant, Sian Welby has risen to stardom, capturing hearts with her witty weather reports and now emerging as a strong contender to fill Holly Willoughby’s shoes on This Morning.

The 37-year-old, known for infusing her Channel 5 weather broadcasts with Star Wars puns, recently dazzled viewers during a successful guest appearance on This Morning alongside Dermot O’Leary. Fans have expressed their enthusiasm, with one declaring, “Sian is the absolute best since Holly left.”

Bookmakers Coral have positioned Welby as the frontrunner at 2-1 odds to take over the coveted role from Holly Willoughby, beating out competitors like Josie Gibson, Alison Hammond, and Emma Willis.

Welby’s journey from a New Look sales assistant dreaming of a television breakthrough to her current celebrity status has been nothing short of remarkable. Initially aspiring to be an actor, a classmate’s comparison to Cat Deeley redirected her focus towards presenting.

To build her showreel, Welby utilised an online platform while working at New Look, incorporating clips of her pretending to be at Glastonbury, interviewing celebrities, and more. Despite nearly giving up on her television aspirations, her breakthrough came when she was spotted by former Channel 5 owner Richard Desmond during a Saturday off to film an advert for New! Magazine.

Becoming the face of Channel 5 weather in 2010, Welby added humour to her daily bulletins, incorporating movie puns that garnered viral attention. She continued to diversify her career, hosting radio shows, collaborating with Ed Sheeran on a kazoo cover of “Shape of You,” and fronting Channel 4’s cycling show Revolution.

Throughout her career, Welby has mingled with A-listers at red carpet events, breaking records, and even overcoming personal challenges, including her father’s battle with COVID-19. Her positive outlook, supported by celebrity friends like Emma Bunton and Amanda Holden, played a crucial role in his recovery.

In the realm of romance, Welby’s career at Heart Radio led to an engagement with Jake Becket, a creative producer. Their love story unfolded during a boat trip in Crete, where Jake proposed with a ring hidden “up the back of his T-shirt.”

As Welby continues to climb the ladder of success, her aspirations to break into mainstream TV seem poised for fulfilment. With a triumphant debut on This Morning and a growing fan base, Sian Welby’s meteoric rise from a shop floor to a morning star shows no signs of slowing down.