New fears for Holly Willoughby

As a daytime TV institution, adored by its loyal fans, news of a major reshuffle on the This Morning sofa sent shockwaves through the showbiz circuit last week, as it emerged hosts Ruth Langsford and Eammon Holmes had been axed.

After regularly stepping in to guest-host in recent months, it was revealed the show’s roving reporter, Alison Hammond, and former X Factor host Dermot O’Leary would take over from the married presenters’ regular Friday morning slot – with Alison even standing in for Holly one day last week when she mysteriously missed the show for two days in a row. Fans rushed to praise her, saying, “Much prefer the bubbly Alison. She always seems so happy and content with life.” Another added, “Alison is brilliant, time for new changes!”

The shake-up signals even more unrest for the show, with reports of behind-the-scenes jostling over the plum presenting roles even appearing to spill on to the screen. In one notable episode last year, Ruth, 60, was seen slamming down a pen live on air after being awkwardly cut off by co-host Phillip Schofield mid-sentence.

And This Morning guest presenter Amanda Holden was also said to have raised concerns to ITV bosses last year that Phillip, 58, had blocked a job as his co-host, with him reportedly campaigning for Rochelle Humes to take up the spot, despite Amanda being more experienced.

Recently, Ruth appeared to throw shade at her rumoured replacement when she said she and her husband Eammon had “come up through the ranks” to get where they are today, with fans alluding to the fact that Alison, 45, became a household name after appearing in Big Brother in 2002.

Ruth’s reps later debunked claims her co-star was the target of the comment – insisting it was made weeks before the shake-up.

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However, viewers were quick to pick up on the pair’s first “awkward” encounter since the news broke – with Ruth saying “hello” to Phil, but seemingly snubbing Alison. Twitter reactions included one fan commenting, “Ruth speaking to Phil and ignoring Alison on This Morning. Awkward!”

Later, Alison took to social media to say how much she’d enjoyed hosting the show with “absolute professional” Phil. And she later appeared to try smoothing things over by commenting “What a beauty” alongside a love heart emoji on a selfie posted by Ruth

Speaking in an interview prior to their hosting slot being axed, Ruth – who’s presented the show alongside Eamonn for 14 years – said, “We’ve put the work in. We didn’t do a reality show and get an overnight job on the telly. We’ve come up through the ranks.” She also added that her 60-year-old husband had a well-deserved OBE for his services to broadcasting.

And popular culture expert Nick Ede tells Closer he fears even golden girl of daytime TV, Holly Willoughby, 39, may be feeling the heat. He says, “Alison is the exact opposite of polished Holly, and I think viewers will be able to really identify with her. She’s going to be real, talk about her weight struggles and being a single mother.

“It’s refreshing and just what TV needs. I think she’ll become even more of a national treasure and there’s a chance she could steal Holly’s crown.”

He adds, “Alison has an infectious personality that everybody loves. Her humour means she gets away with things even Holly wouldn’t be able to with A-list celebs. She’s an antidote for everything that’s happening during this pandemic.”

Off-screen, Alison and Holly grew up worlds apart. Holly was born in Brighton and went on to study at a private school for girls, before being signed to top modelling agency Storm at 14, appearing in teen magazines.

Now the highest-paid woman on TV, she has an estimated net worth of £10m from presenting gigs such as Dancing On Ice and I’m A Celeb!, and collaborations with Garnier and M&S.

Meanwhile, Alison grew up in Birmingham in an area that was reported to have had a strong National Front presence at the time, while her mother Maria, who passed away in February, took on three jobs to support her three kids. A natural performer, Alison enrolled in a theatre club at 11, but her family couldn’t afford the fees needed for drama school, so she later took on jobs at British Gas, at a local cinema and as a holiday rep before landing a spot on Big Brother.

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The star is a single mum to son Aidan, 15, and is outspoken on everything from yo-yo diets to the Black Lives Matter movement – and even her sex life. She previously told Closer, “I take a bit of extra space, but I can dance and I’m great in bed!”

In contrast, mum-of-three Holly is very private, preferring to steer clear of anything too controversial. When asked about personal matters, such as when How To Fail podcaster Elizabeth Day questioned if she’d ever had therapy, Holly seems keen to deflect attention. But it goes without saying that both women are huge fans of the show.

Holly previously described herself as “blessed” to have landed the role, while Alison promises, “I’m going to be using a zimmer frame still working on This Morning.” And Nick believes that if Alison and Holly develop a bond as a presenting duo, they could be unstoppable. He says, “The two working in conjunction with each other will make for great viewing!”

Get the best celeb interviews in Closer magazine each week.