Holly Willoughby said goodnight to This Morning magazine. After 14 years — and a week after a man was arrested for plotting to kidnap her — the presenter announced she was leaving the job that made her one of the most familiar faces in British broadcasting.
Willoughby, 42, said in an Instagram post that she was making the decision “for myself and my family.” Given the trauma of recent events, her departure is understandable. Gavin Plumb, a security guard at Pinnacles shopping center in Harlow, Essex, appeared in court on Friday charged with incitement to murder in an alleged plot to kidnap Willoughby.
In such circumstances, most people wonder if they ever want to be in the public eye again. Willoughby has always protected his privacy. Throughout her career, she has drawn a line between work and personal life. Moreover, she will be aware that fame has become more toxic than ever, and that the Internet has spawned a culture of misogyny with increasingly dangerous consequences in the real world.
“When I'm at home, I never respond to work calls,” she said. “If I'm at work, I'm working; If I’m at home, then that’s it, I’m home.” As the shock of the past week's events subsided, she may have felt it was time to make an important decision about her future.
It's been a difficult few months for Willoughby, whose approachable style has made her a national treasure. While this is in no way comparable to the kidnapping plot, she has been hit by the recent scandal surrounding the departure of This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield.
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The controversy has brought This Morning to a standstill. The series is intended to be the television equivalent of a morning cup of tea: a relaxing way to start the day. To make any sense, This Morning needs to be light-hearted and joyful.
However, in the past year, watching it has become increasingly intense. As much as Willoughby needs and deserves a fresh start, so does This Morning. For both to thrive, they will have to put their unhappy relationship in the rearview mirror. Indeed, there is reason to believe that ITV's biggest franchise needs to be rebuilt from the ground up so that the fallout from Schofieldgate can be left for everyone. Otherwise, bad emotions will definitely remain.
Willoughby felt the heat when rumors of a falling out with Schofield began to spread. He subsequently admitted that he had lied about an «unreasonable but not illegal» affair with a younger employee. When he resigned last May, questions were asked about Willoughby's role in his downfall.
It was unfair to her, but it was a poignant reminder of the difficulties of life in the spotlight. It didn't help that her first on-air remarks after Schofields' departure were widely ridiculed: «First of all, are you okay?» — and compares it to a speech Jennifer Aniston's character gave under similar circumstances on the Apple TV morning show.
She's had to overcome all kinds of prejudice since appearing on the This Morning sofa in 2009. She was chosen by Schofield, and from the very beginning she had the feeling that she was here to bask in his shadow. Over time, however, she grew into the role, and with sponsorship deals with brands such as Marks and Spencer making her an accessible fashion icon, there was a sense that she had gained more influence by the end. Of course, her message of refusal to support Schofield was seen as dooming his chances of survival.
It would be understandable for Willoughby to keep a low profile in the short term. However, it is unlikely that she will leave television altogether, and if she wants to return to broadcasting, ITV will be happy to have her back. As things stand, she remains the host of Dancing on Ice, which is confirmed to return in early 2024.
She was also co-host of I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here in 2018 when Ant McPartlin took time out for personal reasons. She failed to get along with co-host Declan Donnelly and the season was seen as a rare failure. However, it proved that she is willing to step outside her comfort zone and try something new.
Holly and Phil were a beloved duo. Photo: PA
After this, Willoughby will have to relive a lot of the events of the past week. But this daughter of a double glazing salesman and a flight attendant has already overcome some tough challenges, most notably breaking into television. Whatever the future holds for her may make her realize that if she still wants it, her television career will go nowhere. This Morning's future is less certain. To maintain its place in national sentiment, the only answer may be a complete reset.
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