According to reports, police foiled a plot to ‘kidnap’ This Morning host Holly Willoughby.
The show’s long-time host, who has been on the ITV breakfast show since 2009, was not present in today’s broadcast.
It has now been revealed that she was quickly placed under police security at her residence when a threat was discovered.
A 36-year-old man was detained after police reportedly discovered’sinister communications’ threatening to kidnap and’seriously hurt’ the television personality and mother of three.
The suspect, who Holly, 42, does not know, was in police custody last night.
A source said: ‘Investigations are continuing but police are treating this as a credible conspiracy to kidnap Holly.
‘There were apparently some sinister and threatening messages found on electronic devices threatening to seriously harm her.’
The Sun also reported that police alerted This Morning bosses to the alleged plot early yesterday and Holly was informed shortly before she was due on air.
She was stated to be’shocked and heartbroken,’ and it was determined that she should leave the programme.
Alison Hammond and Josie Gibson were brought in as last-minute replacements.
Meanwhile, the newspaper stated that a marked police vehicle was kept outside the suspect’s ground-floor flat where He lives alone.
One of his neighbours in Harlow, Essex, reported he was brought out of his flat in handcuffs.
Another added: ‘The police car has been there all day. Earlier on there was a forensics van.’
It was unclear how authorities learned about the suspected plan, but computer gadgets and a mobile phone were confiscated.
A 24-hour police guard is also claimed to be stationed outside Holly’s London house, where she lives with her husband, Dan Baldwin, and their children, Harry, 14, Belle, 12, and Chester, eight.
Holly has had a difficult year, beginning with accusations of queue-jumping with then-co-host Phillip Schofield late last year when they were accused of bypassing the queue to pay their respects to the late Queen.
Schofield, 61, resigned in May after admitting to lying about an affair with a younger colleague.
She later told viewers she had felt ‘shaken and let down’.
She then failed to win a National Television Award for the first time in 12 years last month.
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1.
