Holly Willoughby is set to return to her usual hosting duties on ITV's This Morning, Monday, (June 5) alongside a fresh-faced co-presenter in the wake of Phillip Schofield's exit.
Willoughby, 42, has been on a two-week absence through planned annual leave for the half term holidays, which coincided with vet-presenter Schofield's shock departure last month.
It was revealed at the end of today's episode of This Morning - which was hosted by Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary - that Holly will return from her break on Monday, and will be joined on the sofa by show favourite Josie Gibson.
Read more: ITV boss asks barrister to carry out This Morning investigation after Phillip Schofield affair
The PA News Agency reports that Gibson, who won Big Brother in 2010, joined the ITV staple in 2019, co-hosting as a relief presenter on a number of prior occasions. Her stint presenting next week comes amid a litany of controversy revolving around Schofield, and an affair he had with a younger colleague at ITV while married to his wife of 27-years.
In a tell-all interview with the BBC, Schofield said that he 'didn't tell anybody' about the affair, and that former co-host Willoughby also 'did not know'. The duo presented the show alongside each other since 2009, with Phillip running as the face of the programme since 2002.
Asked by the BBC’s Amol Rajan as to whether he told Willoughby about his affair, Phillip said: "No, oh god, no, that’s a bigger question because our make-up room was like a sanctuary so you tell everything in that room. Holly knows everything about me, I know everything about Holly…. Holly did not know. Nobody knew. I didn’t tell anybody."
Phillip added that nobody on his team also knew of the relationship, continuing: "Nobody to my knowledge. I mean somebody has to know something for there to be a rumour later on. I didn’t believe that anybody knew."
Holly on the other hand has also went public with her opinion on the affair, citing how she was hurt by Phillip allegedly lying to her.
She wrote on Instagram: "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."
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