Bookmaker Paddy Power has released its odds on who will be the next editor of The Sun, placing deputy editor Dominic Mohan as favourite.
It was announced this week that Sun editor of six years standing Rebekah Wade is being promoted to become chief executive of News International.
A new editor is to take over in September when Wade takes up her new job.
Mohan is considered a good bet after coming up via the route of being editor of The Sun’s showbiz column Bizarre – a patch which was the testing ground for former red-top editors Andy Coulson and Piers Morgan.
Similar thinking is obviously behind Paddy Power’s decision to put another former Bizarre editor, Sun head of features and entertainment Victoria Newton, as second favourite.
Another sensible suggestion is former News of the World editor Andy Coulson who is 5/1 with Paddy Power to take over the top job.
News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch is known to prize loyalty – and Coulson stayed put when he was tempted with the editorship of the Daily Mirror in 2004 following Piers Morgan’s sacking.
Coulson fell on his sword in January 2007 after one of his reporters was jailed for bugging the phone calls of Royal aides and a host of other people.
He has served his two years in exile as chief spin-doctor for David Cameron – but a move from the dark side back into frontline journalism would be pretty unprecedented.
Press Gazette has no inside info on who will succeed Wade – other than pointing out that Sun managing editor Graham Dudman and Dominic Mohan both occupied prime seats in the front row when Wade delivered her Cudlipp lecture at the London College of Communications in January.
But who was sat next to News Corp Europe and Asia boss James Murdoch? Sun political editor George Pascoe-Watson, suggesting that he could well be worth an outside bet.
The fact that no successor has yet been named could always mean that the Murdochs (junior and senior) have not yet to make their minds up.
Paddy Power spokesman Darren Haines said: “Mohan and Wallace are overwhelmingly the two names Fleet Street are backing so far and, if money talks, we could be set for a two horse race.
“Who knows, perhaps our punters in Wapping and Canary Wharf have differing views on the likely winner.”
Paddy Power’s full Sun editor odds
11/8 Dominic Mohan
9/2 Victoria Newton
5/1 Andy Coulson
5/1 Chris Pharo
6/1 Richard Wallace
8/1 Col Allan
8/1 Fergus Shanahan
14/1 Colin Myler
14/1 Pete Picton
16/1 Gordon Smart
20/1 Paul Dacre
25/1 Stefano Hatfield
25/1 Dawn Neesom
50/1 Kelvin Mackenzie
100/1 Ellis Watson
100/1 Piers Morgan
500/1 Jeremy Paxman
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