Holly Willoughby says she feels ‘let down’ as she returns to This Morning for first time since Schofield scandal | UK News

Holly Willoughby has mentioned she felt “let down” as she made her first This Morning look since her former co-presenter Phillip Schofield resigned over an “unwise, however not unlawful” relationship with a youthful man.

As she returned to the display screen after two weeks away, she mentioned she felt “shaken, troubled, let down,” and “anxious for the wellbeing of individuals on all sides of what is been occurring”.

“Now we have given our love and help to somebody not telling the reality,” she added.

Schofield, 61, resigned from ITV final month over the affair and has since insisted he “did not” groom the man, who additionally labored on the present, and who the presenter mentioned was 20 years outdated when their relationship started.

Willoughby, 42, started the present with the emotional assertion delivered straight to digital camera, whereas holding arms with co-presenter Josie Gibson.

She started with the phrases, “Proper, deep breath,” and went on to say, “It feels very unusual sitting her with out Phil.”

She acknowledged that viewers could be “stuffed with questions,” occurring: “You, me and all of us at This Morning gave our love and help to somebody who was not telling the reality, who acted in a approach that they themselves felt that they needed to resign from ITV, and step down from a profession that they cherished. That may be a lot to course of.”

Whereas she didn’t point out Schofield once more by title, she directed another level in direction of him, persevering with: “And it is equally exhausting to see the toll that it is taken on their very own psychological well being. I feel what unites us all now’s a need to heal for the well being and wellbeing of everybody.”

Waiting for a “new chapter” for the present, she mentioned she hoped “we are able to discover energy in one another,” and thanked viewers for his or her help, “from my coronary heart”.

Following her assertion, Gibson reached throughout and gave her a giant hug, saying: “All we are able to do now’s be the household that we’re.”

Willoughby additionally talked about different members of the This Morning staff, Dermot O’Leary, Alison Hammond, and Craig Doyle – who is known to be co-presenting alongside her on Tuesday.

Willoughby’s return to the present comes after she hit out at her former co-host and accused him of mendacity to her over his affair.

In an announcement final week she mentioned: “When experiences of this relationship first surfaced, I requested Phil instantly if this was true and was advised it was not.

“It has been very hurtful to now discover out that this was a lie.”

Learn extra:
Holly Willoughby’s This Morning statement in full
Phillip Schofield: Timeline of ITV departure

Schofield has given two interviews since leaving ITV – one to the BBC and one to The Solar newspaper. In each, he insisted Willoughby didn’t know in regards to the affair.

He additionally mentioned he had messaged his former co-presenter because the fallout from his departure, however mentioned she didn’t reply.

Schofield’s affair befell whereas the tv star was nonetheless married to spouse Stephanie Lowe, and earlier than he got here out publicly as homosexual in 2020.

He had denied having a relationship with a colleague when questioned by ITV about rumours in early 2020.

ITV has since introduced an external review of the saga led by a barrister.