Holly Willoughby will not be returning to This Morning after abruptly leaving the breakfast programme after 14 years.
Holly, 42, has been a regular on the ITV programme since 2009, and it has helped her establish herself as a household brand, but the last year has been difficult.
Holly has decided to step down following the drama involving co-host Phillip Schofield and a guy detained after threats to kidnap and murder her.
Holly, who has a net worth of about £10 million, announced her departure on Instagram.
‘I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning,’ she tweeted after abruptly leaving the show last week.
‘To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so much. This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we’ve done together.
‘Thank you to everyone at ITV for being supportive. To every guest who has sat on our sofa, thank you.’
Holly began her modelling career at the age of 14, claiming to be the ‘face of sanitary towels’ when speaking with Jonathon Ross.
She decided to leave the modelling profession at the age of 17 because she was afraid of the pressure on her body due to the strict beauty standards.
Her television debut occurred in 2000, when she starred on CITV’s spin-off show, S Club TV, and later in a S Club 7 film, playing the late Paul Cattermole’s first love, Zoe.
Holly was a regular presenter on children’s television in her early career.
She moved to ITV in 2004 to co-host Saturday morning children’s show Ministry Of Mayhem with Stephen Mulhern before taking over as host of children’s music chart show CD:UK from Cat Deeley.
According to a person close to her, she was urged to ‘not wear a bra‘ and that the programmes ‘weren’t genuinely for children’.
At the same time, she met her future husband, TV producer Daniel Baldwin, with whom she married in 2007 and has three children: Harry, 13, Belle, 11, and Chester, eight.
Holly shifted her focus to presenting, co-hosting ITV’s Dancing on Ice with Schofield in 2006, which led to her casting on This Morning three years later.
Holly made her This Morning début in September 2009, replacing Fern Britton, and has been a regular on the weekday show ever since.
She and her co-host won multiple NTAs throughout her stint on the ITV mainstay, including a six-year streak for Best Daytime Show until last year.
While on This Morning, she retained her role as a team captain on Celebrity Juice with Keith Lemon.
She has previously hosted The Voice, The Games, and, most recently, I’m a Celeb alongside Declan Donnelly.
She even returned to acting this year, appearing in Ted Lasso and a funny appearance on Midsommer Murders.
Holly has also appeared as a frequent panellist on a number of series, including Loose Women and The Masked Dancer.
Her departure from This Morning came as a surprise to fans after her successful return earlier this year, which included a Mamma Mia-themed greeting from Alison Hammond.
She has, however, faced criticism in recent years, especially after the Queen’s death, when she and Schofield were accused of cutting the mourners’ queue.
She was taken into police protective custody on October 5, just seconds before the Wylde Moon founder was supposed to begin This Morning.
Gavin Plumb, 36, was arrested and accused with soliciting murder and encouragement to commit kidnapping.
The tragic encounter was claimed to have left her ‘in bits’ and may have led to her decision to end her extraordinary 14-year career on This Morning.
Holly has not indicated what she intends to do next, leaving supporters disappointed by her choice to quit.
It’s unknown if the presenter will continue to appear on other shows, despite having announced her return to Dancing on Ice just a few weeks ago.
