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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Lisa McLoughlin

Vanessa Feltz shares friendship advice after defending ‘kind’ Holly Willoughby

Vanessa Feltz has shared some friendship advice after defending Holly Willoughby earlier this week.

The agony aunt was appearing on Wednesday’s This Morning when she urged one caller to fight for a pal’s friendship.

The caller explained: “I’ve been friends with a group of friends for quite a long time and I’ve actually said no for the first time to plans and now since then they’ve not spoken to me.

“They normally call and normally text but they’ve disowned me."

After hearing the caller’s issue, Feltz responded: “Oh! That does sound really odd.

“Maybe they felt rejected. You can never quite tell how someone will interpret something you do in a nice way with no ill will at all.

Feltz defended Holly Willoughby earlier this week (ITV)

“They may take it as a knockback and a slap in the face. You’ve been friendly with them for ages.

“If I was you, I would give them a bell and say, ‘I didn’t want to come that time, but I certainly want to come next time’ and invite them round for an evening in the sunshine.

“But don’t allow this to fester and become a big thing.”

To which, host Willoughby interjected: “So keep it light.”

Before Feltz added: “Friendships are so precious,” which the 42-year-old echoed: “Yeah” in agreement.

The TalkTV star continued: “When we lose friends throughout our life, sometimes we look back and wish we hadn’t. So don’t let that happen.”

At this point, Willoughby asked the caller: “Do you feel like you have it in you to reach out one more time?”

The called replied: “Only the once, I can’t do it anymore after this.”

Feltz also insisted that This Morning isn’t a ‘toxic’ workplace (Dave Benett)

Feltz’s advice comes after she defended the TV star earlier this week, describing the TV star as “really kind”.

She told OK! Magazine: “She’s a really nice, good natured, kind, sweet person. She really is. For example, all of this was going on, and then Rolf Harris died.

“I was asked about the fact he sexually assaulted me live on TV, and so I told the story again. And then I got a message from Holly just saying, ‘Are you OK? It must be really hard for you to talk about it. Are you alright?’”

The broadcaster then hit back at claims that This Morning is a “toxic” work environment and denied that everyone at ITV knew about Phillip Schofield‘s affair with a younger colleague.

She continued: “I’ve always been good friends with Holly and Phil; I’ve been on that show for years and years. I just feel very sorry for anybody who’s been hurt or implicated in what’s happened.”

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