She’s waded through a tricky few weeks on This Morning after Phillip Schofield’s explosive scandal led to calls for her to step down. But last week, Holly Willoughby was all smiles when she grinned alongside her co-host Dermot O’Leary and her best pal Emma Bunton, who guest-starred on the show.
And sources say that Holly, 42 – who has been presenting alongside Dermot, Josie Gibson and Alison Hammond since Phil’s departure – is now hoping to rope in some of her other celeb pals to help save This Morning’s reputation – after viewing figures dropped in recent weeks.
A source says, “Holly knows she’s got a long way to go to smooth out the mess created by Phil, and she’s hoping that some of her celeb pals can step up and help her out. She feels like some well-loved, famous faces would be a great addition and bring some showbiz glam.
“It’s awkward though, as she also understands that it’s a big ask to associate themselves with the show right now, given all that’s gone on.”
The show’s reputation came crashing down last month when Phil shockingly admitted to having an affair with a younger co-worker on the show and lying about it. His admission prompted former This Morning employees – including the likes of Dr Ranj Singh and Eamonn Holmes – to slam the show’s “toxic” work environment.
Since then, Holly has been leaning on her circle of best friends, which includes the likes of Nicole Appleton, Christine Lampard and Fearne Cotton, who she co-hosted Celebrity Juice with for 10 years, as well as former Spice Girl Emma.
The source adds, “Holly has always prided herself on keeping her circle of celeb friends outside of work – especially when they’ve been to festivals and really cut loose. It’s always been about friendship rather than work, so Holly knows it’s a lot to suddenly ask. But with Phil out the way, Holly is hoping to bring in some changes to the show, freshen it up with different guests, and help lighten the mood behind the scenes.”
