Holly Willoughby has announced that she will be absent from presenting This Morning for a “few days” due to falling ill with the shingles.
The ITV star, 42, has been away during the Easter holidays along with Phillip Schofield, whom the show said is returning this week following his brother Timothy’s conviction.
In an Instagram post, Willoughby said: “Hi… Just to let you know I may be away for the rest of the week as I have shingles… I’ll be back as soon as I’m better. Huge love, Holly.”
According to the NHS, shingles is an infection that produces a painful rash on the body and is caused by the chickenpox virus.
The varicella-zoster virus stays in your body and when it is reactivated, blotches appear on the skin and patients report feeling generally unwell with nerve pain and other symptoms including headache, according to Mayo Clinic.
It commonly affects the chest or abdomen, but a rash can appear anywhere on the body including the face and eyes.
On Sunday, This Morning said The Hit List presenter and former The Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes will join Schofield in the studio to host the show.
The talk show wrote on social media: “Tomorrow at 10am on ITV1 and STV, it’s welcome back after the Easter holidays to Phillip and get better soon to Holly who’s off ill for a few days.
“Phillip and Rochelle have a packed show… and a very special live announcement from Alison Hammond around midday.”
The beloved presenting duo have not been seen on the show together for some time after Schofield took leave from the show at the beginning of the month.
Schofield’s absence came as his brother Timothy stood trial at Exeter Crown Court, where he was found guilty of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019.
The 54-year-old, a civilian police worker from Bath, told the jury while giving evidence that he had watched pornography with the boy, whom he insisted was over the age of 16 at that time, and they had masturbated while sitting apart, but denied performing sexual acts on the teenager.
Judge Mrs Justice Cutts remanded him in custody ahead of sentencing at Bristol Crown Court on May 19.
In a statement released by his lawyer after the verdict, TV presenter Phillip said: “My overwhelming concern is and has always been for the wellbeing of the victim and his family. I hope that their privacy will now be respected.
“If any crime had ever been confessed to me by my brother, I would have acted immediately to protect the victim and their family.
“These are despicable crimes, and I welcome the guilty verdicts. As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother.”
