Jake is a Football and Entertainment betting expert, with a Man City season ticket and a deep knowledge of reality TV betting angles
- Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani leads the odds to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury
- Justin Welby quit as Archbishop of Canterbury earlier this week
- Graham Usher also features in latest market
Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani leads the odds to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury
Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani is the early favourite to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury after Justin Welby’s resignation saw the role now officially available.
58-year-old Francis-Dehqani was born in Iran and leads the way in the contenders with a number of big names featuring in the market.
The Crown Nominations Commission is set to create a shortlist of contenders which will be whittled down to just one name that is chosen by the 17 voting members.
This is then submitted to the Prime Minister who will put it forward to King Charles who then decides to reject or accept the decision.
Appointing a female as Archbishop of Canterbury when the previous 105 have been male would be a massive decision for the Church of England to make and one that could be on the cards if the odds are correct.
| Next Archbishop of Canterbury | Odds* | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani | 1/1 | 50.0% |
| Rachel Treweek | 2/1 | 33.3% |
| Graham Usher | 3/1 | 25.0% |
| Martyn Snow | 5/1 | 16.7% |
| Stephen Cottrell | 5/1 | 16.7% |
*As bookmakers currently aren't taking bets on this event, odds have been compiled as theoretical probability from an entertainment perspective only and come from an industry expert
What the expert says...
Jake Ashton - Senior News Editor - OLBG.com
Justin Welby quit as Archbishop of Canterbury earlier this week
The previous Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby announced that he was stepping down from the role on Tuesday after mounting pressure over his handling of the Church of England’s abuse scandals.
Welby’s resignation means that the search is now on for the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury following 11 years in which he was in the position.
The statement included:
"The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth. When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow.
"It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.
Graham Usher also features in latest market
Bishop of Norwich Graham Usher also features towards the top of the betting odds in what again would be an interesting appointment based on previous history.
Usher is heavily pro-LGBT and has previously apologised to the community for the harm that the church has given gay couples in the past.
The 53-year-old grew up in Ghana and became Bishop of Norwich in 2017 before taking a seat in the House of Lords in 2023.
