Holly Willoughby 'devastated' by last week's events before quitting This Morning
Holly Willoughby had been left “devastated” by the horrifying drama of being the target of a kidnapping plot which ultimately saw her opting to quit her high profile job.
The 42-year-old TV star had been a co-host of This Morning for 14 years - but on Tuesday, she announced she will not return to the show after being on leave since last week following the revelation a man had been hauled in to court accused of planning to kidnap and murder her. Her exit comes after a year of controversial events - as she had been blasted by the public for reportedly skipping the queue to see the late Queen Elizabeth II lying in state in September last year, and then became engulfed in backstage arguing rumours that led to co-star Phillip Schofield quitting the show this May.
On Tuesday night, hours after Holly revealed she was stepping down from her role, there was fury among some of her allies that a “intelligent, brilliant woman who is a consummate professional had been forced to give up a job she loved because of things out of her control.”
They said that the events of the last week had left her fearing for her safety and she was “devastated” by the fallout. One pal told the Mirror: “She is in a bad way and some things aren’t worth it no matter how much she adored This Morning. It’s a terrible, terrible state of affairs that one of our best presenters felt she had no choice. It’s a damning indictment of Britain today.”
Holly Willoughby quit This Morning on Tuesday after a man appeared in court accused of plotting to kidnap her (Penske Media via Getty Images)Holly shared her decision to quit earlier in the day - with a statement being released via social media. She wrote: “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 don’t together.
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"Thank you to everyone at ITV for being supportive. To every guest who has sat on our sofa, thank you." She added: “Most of all, thank you to the wonderful viewers. You’ve been so loyal, so supportive and the very best company every day… I will miss you all so much.”
Holly’s surprise news sent a shockwave through the celebrity network - with many of her co-stars and fellow ITV talent members expressing their sadness and support. Co-star Alison Hammond was one of the first to offer support, writing: “This is a very sad day ! Love you.”
Vanessa Feltz, who frequently features on the ITV show to dispense advice to callers with their personal problems, was also sad to see Holly go. She wrote in response to the post: “We will miss you so very much my darling,” alongside a red heart emoji.
Meanwhile, Kevin Lygo, Managing Director, Media and Entertainment, ITV hinted the network has plans to continue working with Holly in the future. He said in a statement: "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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