Holly Willoughby is said to have shared a 'cryptic post' as she prepares to return to This Morning for the first time since Phillip Schofield's shock exit and subsequent bombshell admission about an affair with a younger ITV employee.
The presenter, who has hosted the show alongside Phillip since 2009, has been off our screens for the past fortnight. Holly, 42, took an extra week off of the ITV daytime show after her former pal quit after more than 20 years on the famous sofa with 'immediate effect'.
She issued a statement at the time saying the sofa 'wouldn't feel the same' without him. However, she has since shared her dismay at being 'lied to' by her former presenting pal after he admitted to having an affair with a much younger ITV colleague.
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In an Instagram post on Saturday, May 27, Phil's former This Morning co-star said she had previously asked him 'directly' if reports of the relationship were true.
She wrote: “It’s taken time to process yesterday’s news. When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not. It’s been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie.”
Holly is now set to 'not shy away' from the scandal when she returns to the This Morning sofa on Monday (June 5) alongside Josie Gibson. The host plans to address the affair 'openly and honestly', a TV source told The Sun. The Sun quotes the source as saying: "Holly wants to address Phillip's recent admissions about his affair.
But after a period of silence on social media, fans think they have spotted a 'cryptic post' over on Holly's business page. Over on the Wylde Moon Instagram page, which is Holly's wellness brand away from her TV career, a picture of a moon was shared accompanied by an inspirational quote.
The picture was captioned: “Get ready for this Full Strawberry Moon in Sagittarius. All that glorious Saggi energy promises to create a cosmic extravaganza that’ll get your brain buzzing with excitement.” A caption was also written on the picture, which spoke of keeping positive.
It read: “This full strawberry moon in Sagittarius brings with it a zest for life. The guiding influence of this fire sign combined with Jupiter encourages you to maintain a positive perspective and to tune into your finest qualities.” The post then concluded: “Inspire. Renew. Believe.”
It comes amid claims mum-of-three Holly is 'nervous' about her return to screens. TV has confirmed that Josie Gibson will step in as a host on This Morning alongside Holly. The news was announced by Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary at the end of Friday’s programme.
On behalf of ITV, they said: "Holly Willoughby returns to This Morning on Monday June 5th and will co-present with members of the This Morning family, as confirmed in our 20th May statement. Josie Gibson will be hosting with Holly on Monday, as mentioned at the end of today's show."
An announcement about her return was also made during Monday's Good Morning Britain with the news programme telling viewers Holly would be returning for today's instalment of This Morning after being away from the show for a fortnight.
A reporter's voiceover said: "Holly is expected to make an announcement at the start of today's show. Likely one of her toughest moments in her decades in front of the camera".
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