Holly Willoughby's 'big regret' over Phil Schofield as she quits This Morning

11 October 2023 , 10:07

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Holly Willoughby's 'big regret' over Phil Schofield as she quits This Morning

Holly Willoughby has quit This Morning after 14 years of presenting the daytime show following an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her, telling fans she made the move for 'me and my family'. A 36-year-old man was remanded in custody last week charged with the alleged plot and according to a TV source, it had "all got too much" for the presenter.

In a statement to fans on Instagram, Holly, 42, wrote: "This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we’ve done together. Thank you to everyone at ITV for being supportive. To every guest who has sat on our sofa, thank you. 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'. It's been an honour to just be part of its 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."

Holly returned to This Morning following Phil's exit, saying she was "shaken, troubled, let down, worried for the wellbeing of people on all sides of what's been going on, and full of questions." (ITV)

Her exit comes as the mum-of-three was handed a new contract with a big pay rise as she vowed to keep the ITV production going following a tumultuous past few months amid the fallout with ex-host Phillip Schofield, who walked after admitting to an 'unwise but not illegal' affair with a younger colleague. The affair saw Holly and Phil's close relationship break down, with Holly publicly revealing that she had previously asked Phil about the allegations, which he had denied.

Close allies have said Holly was forced to quit over fears for her family's safety. She shares three children - Belle, Harry and Chester - with husband Daniel Baldwin, whom she married in 2007. Last Thursday, Holly pulled out of presenting duties and remained at her London home which was being guarded by police after a man was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of conspiracy to kidnap.

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Meanwhile, some friends also say she felt 'terrible' about fallout around Phil's departure. According to MailOnline, sources say the star 'hasn't been the same' since the events that unfolded earlier this year and has 'never got over it.' She reportedly 'misses' her former co-star, who she presented This Morning with for 14 years, with the source adding: "You wonder if she regrets the fallout – look at everything that has happened as a result. It's really sad."

Phil and Holly worked together for more than a decade (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

The pair famously hit it off when they started working together and often left viewers in stitches over their red-faced antics on the sofa. She supported Phil when he came out as gay live on air in 2020, and when the cameras stopped rolling, they hung out together in their homes and even holidayed with their families.

However cracks started to show last September amid 'queuegate', when the pair were accused of skipping the queue to see the Queen lying in state. And in April this year, Holly was reportedly left blindsided when Phil reportedly failed to warn her that his paedophile brother was going on trial.

In May, when the news of Phil's affair broke, tensions ran high between the friends as Holly chose to remain at This Morning, and made public statements saying she had been lied to, telling fans she felt 'let down'. However it appears that reconciliation is on the cards as over the weekend, it emerged that Holly had reportedly got in touch with Phil in a bid to make amends after he had reached out following the news of the alleged kidnap plot.

Although one source told MailOnline that it is 'very unlikely' they will ever be able to get back to where they once were as too much has happened. Meanwhile, an external review of the facts after Schofield's departure is still under way and ITV bosses have said both Schofield and his former lover 'repeatedly denied' allegations of a relationship until the star quit ITV and formally apologised.

Following Willoughby's announcement, the managing director for media and entertainment at ITV, Kevin Lygo, 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."

Saffron Otter