‘A Very Sad Day’: This Morning Co-Stars Rally Around Holly Willoughby After Quitting Show

Holly Willoughby’s This Morning co-stars have shown their support for the TV presenter after she announced she was quitting the ITV daytime show after 14 years.

The 42-year-old revealed she was standing down in a statement posted on her social media accounts, which follows a man being charged over an alleged plot to kidnap her last week.

Commenting on Holly’s Instagram post, fellow This Morning host Alison Hammond wrote: “This is a very sad day! Love you.”

Regular guest host Craig Doyle said: “We are so supportive of you and we love you to bits, we just wish it didn’t end this way. It’s a sad day for everyone.”

Another of the show’s presenters, Josie Gibson, said: “You’ve made me laugh until my cheeks ache sharing the sofa with you. We are sending you so much love HW.”

Stand-in presenter Rochelle Humes added: “This is a sad day. We love you.”

Agony aunt Vanessa Feltz also said: “We will miss you so very much my darling.”

Chef Juliet Sear wrote: “So sad to see you go Holly wishing you loads of positive things for your new chapter xxx it’s been wonderful working with you for the last 8 years and making your birthday cakes to for the last 14. Lots of love to you and you family.”

ITV colleague Susanna Reid said: “Sending love to you and your family Holly.”

Holly had written: “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. 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.”

Quoting the original hosts of This Morning, Holly continued: “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.”

On Thursday morning, This Morning viewers noticed that Holly was absent from her usual presenting slot, with Alison Hammond being drafted in to co-host the show with Josie Gibson.

Following this, The Sun reported that Holly was “under police guard at her home” after “sinister” messages were found on a man’s phone reportedly threatening to “seriously harm” the daytime TV presenter.

He appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates Court on Friday, charged with soliciting to commit murder, incitement to commit rape and incitement to commit kidnap.

In April, it was reported Holly and her former co-host Phillip Schofield had fallen out behind the scenes, with Phillip abruptly stepping down from This Morning shortly afterwards.

A week later, he then resigned from ITV altogether after admitting to having lied to producers about an affair with a younger colleague on the show.

In the months since, Holly had continued to front the show with a rotating roster of the show’s existing presenters, including Alison Hammond, Dermot O’Leary and Craig Doyle.

Holly joined This Morning in 2009 alongside Phillip as a replacement for former co-host Fern Britton.