Holly Willoughby will return to This Morning on Monday for the first time since longstanding co-host Phillip Schofield stepped down, and she will be joined by Josie Gibson.
The host has been away from the programme for the previous two weeks and will make his long-awaited return after the weekend.
Her most recent appearance on the show was on May 18. After accusations that he and Willoughby were ‘barely speaking’ behind the scenes and that their relationship had cooled, Schofield, 61, announced his departure from the daily show after more than 20 years.
Days later, he resigned from all of his ITV duties, including presenting the British Soap Awards, after disclosing on This Morning that he had a ‘unwise but not criminal’ affair with a young male showrunner while still married to Stephanie Lowe.
Holly, 42, has kept a quiet profile since the declaration and has been spending time with her family in Portugal.
She did, however, post a brief message on Instagram, saying, ‘It’s taken time to comprehend yesterday’s news. When I initially heard about this relationship, I asked Phil directly whether it was true, and he said no.
‘It’s been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie. Holly.’
Schofield corroborated her story. He told The Sun: ‘Holly did not know (about the romance). And she was one of the first texts that I sent, to say, ‘I am so, so sorry that I lied to you.’
He added: ‘I’ve lost my best friend. I let her down (Holly).’
Alison Hammond announced at the end of Friday’s episode that Holly, 38, will be joining her. The two have previously co-hosted the show.
During her absence, Dermot O’Leary and Alison, who typically host the show on Fridays, have mostly taken over, with Josie functioning as a roaming correspondent.
On today’s programme, the hosts discussed Schofield’s candid interview with the BBC, which caused Alison to cry at the ‘tough’ situation.
Source My Celebrity Life.
