Holly Willoughby leaves fans bemused as she makes her acting debut as ‘the queen of daytime’ in Midsomer Murders – but her unlikely appearance divides viewers
The autocue was nowhere to be seen when Holly Willoughby made her acting debut on Sunday night’s episode of Midsomer Murders – but fans were divided over her appearance on the hit show.
Better accustomed to her long-running role as a presenter on ITV lead This Morning, Holly was treading lesser-known territory as she played herself in the slow-moving crime drama.
Baffled viewers saw the TV regular make a fleeting appearance at a paranormal convention attended by local sleuth Tom Barnaby, played by movie veteran Neil Dudgeon, and his partner, Sgt. Dan Scott, played by John Hopkins, as they investigate a murder.
Holly, a VIP guest at the event, sits on a throne and is the center of attention as the tired detectives spot her after they enter.
“Is that the queen of the day?” asks Scott, signaling the host when she catches sight of them.
Cameo: The autocue was nowhere to be seen when Holly Willoughby made her acting debut in Sunday night’s episode of Midsomer Murders
Who is that? Baffled viewers saw the TV regular make a fleeting appearance at a paranormal convention attended by local sleuth Tom Barnaby and his partner, Sgt. Danny Scott
Apparently not a fan of This Morning, the much older Barnaby responds, “Gloria Hunniford? Are you sure?’
Fans were equally unsure, albeit for different reasons, with many blighting the scene’s “forced and unrealistic” dialogue and Holly’s presence on the show.
A viewer turned to X and wrote, “Is that the queen of the day?” As if anyone would say that.’
While a second commented: ‘Ah yes, realistic, not at all forced top quality dialogue there ITV.’
A third quipped, “How much did Holly Willoughby pay the #MidsomerMurders writers to get that line.”
While a fourth wrote, ‘Why why Holly Willoughby? Much better without, because it felt like it broke the fourth wall by using her – that silly grin she uses had no place in that episode with the other “real” actors. Put a new actor on set instead!’
Others, however, were more charitable, with one commenting, “I actually kind of like Holly Willoughby popping up every once in a while playing herself in the episode of #MidsomerMurders on STV.”
While another added: ‘Forgot @hollywills would be in #MidsomerMurders. I love it, I see her shine.’
Getting involved: Better accustomed to her long-running role as a presenter on ITV chapter This Morning, Holly stepped into lesser-known territory as she played herself in the slow-paced crime drama
The jury is out: Fans were divided, with many denouncing the scene’s “forced and unrealistic” dialogue and Holly’s presence on the show
Guest of Honor: Holly was a VIP guest when the Midsomer village of Angel’s Rise hosted an annual Psychic Fayre
Appearing on Wednesday’s edition of Good Morning Britain, Dudgeon explained the decision to cast Holly despite the presenter having no apparent acting experience.
He said, “Well, she’s kind of a friend of the show, I think — she’s a huge fan of the show and we’re always looking to broaden our casting net.”
“She was amazing, she was professional through and through. I think she was a little nervous when she first arrived. She plays a character called Holly Willoughby, I wouldn’t say it’s her.’
This is not the first time Holly appears in the drama as in 2021 she made a guest appearance in one episode
Last March, Holly was stunned by Midsomer Murders stars Neil and Nick Hendrix during an appearance on This Morning when they asked if she wanted to be a part of the show as they knew she was a huge fan.
Neil told Holly: ‘We’ve all talked a lot about who we want to see in Midsomer, and we’ve decided that we want Holly Willoughby to appear in an episode of ‘Midsomer Murders’ very soon.
“I talked to people upstairs and they talked to your people. Holly, please, I’m encouraged to offer you a part in Midsomer Murders.’
Delighted: Holly spoke to Instagram followers about her involvement in the show
Holly immediately shouted ‘yes’ and was overcome with emotion after receiving such exciting news.
She added, “I’ve seen every episode since it started a long time ago. Are you serious? I mean, you’re going to have to kill me real quick because I’m bad at acting.”
Reflecting on her performance with Instagram followers on Sunday, she wrote: ‘This was truly a dream come true… Thank you to the whole Midsomer Murders team for making me so welcome and really looking after me… I loved every second of it . There’s a behind-the-scenes look at what we’ve been up to on @thismorning tomorrow and then the episode The Witches of Angels Rise airs on ITV on Sunday at 8pm.
Each year, the Midsomer village of Angel’s Rise hosts an annual Psychic Fayre in the massive and gothic Eddon Hall. The event, founded by the Saint-Stephens family in memory of their late daughter, attracts all manner of mediums, psychics and followers of the occult .
“When a body is found surrounded by ritual symbols on the eve of the meeting, Barnaby must enter a world of self-proclaimed witches to find the killer.”