Breaking: Holly Willoughby officially QUITS This Morning after 14 years

Holly Willoughby has officially quit This Morning after 14 years on the show.

In a statement on her Instagram today, she said: “I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning. To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so so much.”

She has been missing from the programme since last week after a man was charged over a suspected plot to kidnap and murder her.

The full statement reads: “I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning. To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so so much. This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we’ve done together. Thank you to everyone at ITV for being supportive. To every guest who has sat on our sofa, thank you.

“Most of all, thank you to the wonderful viewers. You’ve been so loyal, so supportive and the very best company every day. Richard and Judy said ‘we only look after this show, it will always belong to the viewers. It’s been an honour to just be part of it’s story and I know this story has many chapters left to go. Sadly, however, I now feel I have to make this decision for me and my family. I will miss you all so much. Holly.”

ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment Kevin Lygo said: “We are sad that Holly is leaving This Morning, but respect her decision which we know will have been extremely difficult for her to make. Holly is one of the best loved, respected and most accomplished broadcasters in the UK. She has been at the heart of This Morning for the past 14 years, and she is adored by our viewers.

“Holly has brought her unique brand of warmth, energy, humour and fun to one of the country’s most popular daytime shows, and everyone on the programme will miss her enormously. She remains a much loved member of the ITV family and we look forward to continuing to work with her in the future.”

This Morning co-host Alison Hammond commented on Holly’s statement: “This is a very sad day! Love you.”

Holly’s exit from the show comes after she was placed under 24-hour police guard when it was found that 41-year-old Gavin Plumb allegedly hired a hitman from the US to kill her. The man appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates Court on Friday and was found to have possession of weapons and was charged with incitement to commit kidnap and soliciting to commit murder.

Holly Willoughby’s co-host Phillip Schofield also quit the show earlier this year following the scandal of his affair with a younger colleague on This Morning.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as and when we have more information. 

Featured image via This Morning. 

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