Why Holly Willoughby was unable to say final on-screen goodbye as she quits show
Holly Willoughby dropped hints that the police uncovering a 'kidnap' and 'murder' plot against her last week prevented an on-screen goodbye to viewers.
Holly sensationally quit This Morning tonight, saying she left the show 'for me and my family' The 42-year-old called time on her 14 years on the sofa and outlined why she had to leave. Described her time on the flagship daytime show as an 'honour', Holly thanked those with whom she's worked, and shared a tribute to viewers.
Releasing the news on social media, she said ITV have been supportive after she made the call to step back from the show last week after finding herself at the centre of an alleged kidnapping plot. A 36-year-old man, now named as ex-Pizza Hut employee Gavin Plumb, was arrested on Wednesday night. He was later charged and appeared in court.
It's all change on the This Morning sofa (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)It's been a tough 12 months for Holly following a number of This Morning scandals. Last year, she and former co-host Phillip Schofield were accused of skipping the queue to pay their final respects to the late Queen. Then in May, Phillip resigned from This Morning and ITV after admitting he had an affair with a younger former colleague and lied about it.
The star wrote in a statement shared to her Instagram page: "I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning. To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so, so much. This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we've done together.
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"Most of all, thank you to the wonderful viewers. You've been so loyal, so supportive and the very best company every day. Richard and Judy said 'we only look after this show, it will always belong to the viewers'. Thank you to everyone at ITV for being supportive.
"To every guest who has sat on our sofa, thank you. It's been an honour to just be part of it's story and I know this story has many chapters left to go. Sadly, however, I now feel I have to make this decision for me and my family. "I will miss you all so much."
Kevin Lygo, Managing Director, Media and Entertainment, ITV said: "We are sad that Holly is leaving This Morning, but respect her decision which we know will have been extremely difficult for her to make. Holly is one of the best loved, respected and most accomplished broadcasters in the UK. She has been at the heart of This Morning for the past 14 years, and she is adored by our viewers.
"Holly has brought her unique brand of warmth, energy, humour and fun to one of the country’s most popular daytime shows, and everyone on the programme will miss her enormously. She remains a much loved member of the ITV family and we look forward to continuing to work with her in the future."
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