Holly Willoughby’s new This Morning co-host announced as return speculation ends
She will be back presenting for the first time since Schofield’s departure
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Your support makes all the difference.Speculation as to whether Holly Willoughby will return to hostThis Morning is over: she will be on Monday’s (5 June) show with a new co-host.
Willoughby announced an extended half-term break shortly after Schofield quit the ITV daytime series. However, Willoughby’s return, which was scheduled for next week, was thrown into question after Schofield admitted to lying about having an affair with a younger colleague.
Schofield, 61, was dropped by his agents and announced his resignation from ITV, while Willoughby issued a brief statement calling the revelation “hurtful”.
Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary have stepped in for Willoughby and Schofield over the past week. It’s now been confirmed that Willoughby will return as planned on 5 June, when she will be joined by This Morning relief host Josie Gibson.
The news was announced by Hammond and O’Leary at the end of Friday’s episode (2 June), during which the former got emotional while discussing Schofield.
It comes after Schofield’s tell-all interview with BBC’s Amol Rajan, in which he said he “didn’t tell anybody” about his affair with his former This Morning colleague and reiterated his previous statement that his ex co-host “did not know” about it.
Asked by the BBC’s Rajan whether he told Willoughby, he 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.”
Elsewhwere, Schofield, who said he believes his career is “done”, shared with The Sun a text that he sent Willoughby in the immediate aftermath of his statement that revealed the affair.
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He also apologised to Willoughby for lying to her about his relationship, stating: “I’ve lost my best friend. I let her (Holly) down. I let that entire show down. I let the viewers down. Holly did not know and she was one of the first texts that I sent, to say: ‘I am so, so sorry that I lied to you.’
“She didn’t reply and I understand why she didn’t reply, as well. So yeah. If anyone is in any way linking Holly to this; that is absolutely, wholly untrue.”
Gibson, who won the 2010 series of Big Brother, joined the ITV show in 2019 and has co-hosted on a number of occasions as a relief presenter.
Additional reporting by Agencies