While Holly Willoughby was all smiles on This Morning last week, behind-the-scenes the ITV show was thrown into turmoil after her co-host Phillip Schofield took a break while his younger brother’s sexual assault trial dominated headlines.
Alison Hammond who, as Closer recently reported, has been supported by Holly during a terrifying alleged blackmail ordeal and recent break-up, stepped in for a “girls’ takeover” on Monday and Tuesday, with comedian Joel Dommett then taking over.
And while she was upbeat for the cameras, insiders reveal how Holly, 42, has been “beside herself” over the tough time her best pals are going through, and felt overwhelmed as she tried to hold it all together and maintain her perfectly polished look for viewers.
A source says, “It’s certainly been a tough few weeks for Holly – things have been up in the air, and there have been crisis talks about how to handle Phillip’s absence. But Holly has stood strong through everything and is determined to keep calm and carry on. She and Alison have been a brilliant team, and the This Morning family have been supporting each other through everything. It’s been hard for her having to watch her best pals at breaking point – but she’s been a rock for both.”
This latest hurdle comes amidst a year of difficulties for Holly and Phil, 61, following on from the “queue-gate” drama in September, which saw the duo caught at the centre of a public furore when they “were accused of skipping the queue” at the Queen’s lying-in-state. Over 76,000 viewers signed a petition for the co-stars, who have been presenting This Morning together for 13 years, to be sacked.
And while Holly strived to pick herself up – later continuing to develop her own lifestyle brand, Wylde Moon – there’s no doubt the last few months have been a juggling act for the busy mum-of-three.
Reflecting on her “personal growth” in an interview last week, Holly said she’s realised that being stable and static is just as important as moving forwards. She said, “The biggest thing I’ve realised on this journey is that I’m not actually going anywhere! I don’t feel like it’s about personal growth at all, more like returning to myself.”
Reflecting on her career, Holly also said, “I was one of those women who wore my ability to multi-task and spin countless plates as a badge of honour… but in order to keep that up, something else has to give way and going back to what I was saying earlier – the thing that disappears is yourself.”