Inside the day Holly Willoughby QUIT This Morning – as the office fell silent & staff broke into tears
HOLLY Willoughby sensationally quit This Morning on Tuesday afternoon after 14 years on the ITV show.
In a post to Instagram, the 42-year-old TV presenter said that she felt “I have to make this decision for me and my family”.
And following the social media resignation, This Morning‘s headquarters was said to have fallen “utterly silent”.
The show’s staff were reportedly “lost for words” and many in the production office broke into “tears”.
The public stepping down was the first they had heard of Holly’s departure from the show, MailOnline reported.
Holly wrote: “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.”
The show’s editor, Martin Frizell, also allegedly only found out about her decision 20 minutes before her Instagram post was shared.
He was said to have been “stunned” after receiving a phone call just before 5pm on Tuesday.
A source told the Mail: “It has been one thing after another.
“It’s like a soap opera and that’s OK if you’re one of the highly-paid stars getting chauffeured to work and back, but if you’re grafting behind the scenes to keep things afloat, it’s incredibly frustrating.
“Holly decides to leave, she puts it on Instagram. Imagine how that makes you feel. There were tears.
“The team has been through so much in the last year. Many feel they are at the end of their tethers. It has been heartbreaking, and hard, to watch it all happen.”
It follows a turbulent period at the show, after Willoughby’s former co-host Phillip Schofield left in May after he admitted to a relationship with a younger male colleague.
Holly quoted the first ever presenters of the show, Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, as she wished her colleagues the best going forward.
“Richard and Judy said ‘we only look after this show, it will always belong to the viewers’,” Holly said.
“It’s been an honour to just be part of its 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.”
Holly Willoughby's statement in full
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.I will not be returning to This Morning.
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 its 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.