Bodog Beat

According to reports, Layla Kayleigh will no longer serve as the hostess of the World Poker Tour. (Bodog Beat Image)

Rumors were flying around the intertubes yesterday that WPT hostess Layla Kayleigh was not coming back for Season 7 as hostess of the World Poker Tour. The news was broken by the boys at WickedChopsPoker.com yesterday morning and it was confirmed later in the day with a statement from the WPT:

"Layla Kayleigh brought great edge, wit, and personality to the World Poker Tour as hostess in Season VI, and we sincerely wish her well as she continues to explore her TV career. We are currently casting for the Season VII TV hostess role, and look forward to introducing her to everyone soon."

Then, a post was found on her Myspace blog in which she states that she was offered the position but turned it down for personal reasons and really hopes that her good friend Kimberly Lansing will get the job. We'd like to second that motion by the way, we're just slightly enamored with the WPT web hostess.

This marks the third season in a row in which the WPT has had to replace their hostess, starting with Sabina Gadecki and Courtney Friel after the three-season run of the original hostess, much-loved Shana Hiatt. Hopefully, if the WPT does the right thing and goes with Ms. Lansing, she will buck that trend and stick around for a few years. She's nice to look at.

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Charles Simmons writes poker news regularly for the Bodog Beat.