Holly Willoughby switches from mournful to playful

Holly Willoughby quickly dodged the scandal just moments after making her statement about former boyfriend Phillip Schofield on Monday’s This Morning.

The star opened the show by giving a speech referencing her longtime friend and co-host’s reveal, before joining co-host Josie Gibson in throwing herself into a workout segment that featured her lifting weights.

The duo welcomed the show’s health and fitness consultant, Simon Waterson, to help get them “summer ready,” in which he handed them weights and Holly expressed concern about the women’s dresses popping open.

The cheeky moment was in stark contrast to the show’s opening, in which the host, 42, told This Morning viewers ‘we gave our love and support to someone who wasn’t telling the truth’ as ​​she returned for the first time since her return to the show. Phillip’s exit.

Phillip left the show after admitting last month that he had an extramarital affair – which he labeled “ill-advised by not illegal” – with a colleague.

He described his relationship with the younger colleague as “ill-advised but not illegal” and insisted Holly was unaware of the affair. In an interview last week, he said Holly ignored his messages apologizing and begging for forgiveness.

In her full statement, Holly said, “Hello there. Good morning. Josie [Gibson], Thanks for your presence. Right, take a deep breath. First, are you okay? It feels very strange to be here without Phil.

And I imagine you may have felt as I did—shocked, distressed, disappointed, concerned for the well-being of people on all sides of what’s going on, and full of questions.

“You, me and all of us at This Morning gave our love and support to someone who wasn’t telling the truth, who acted in a way that they themselves felt they should resign from ITV and quit a career they love. That’s a lot to process.

And it’s just as hard to see the toll it takes on their own mental health. I think what unites us all now is a desire to heal for the health and well-being of all.

“I hope that as we begin this new chapter and return to a place of warmth and magic that this show holds for all of us, we can find strength in each other.

And, from my heart, I can just thank you for all your kind messages. And thank you for being here this morning. Myself, Josie [Gibson]Dermat [O’Leary]Alison [Hammond]Craig [Doyle]and every person who works on this show will continue to work hard every day to bring you this show that we love.”

Before the show aired, friends of Phillip’s said he wouldn’t tune in to see Holly’s return to the bank as it would be too “triggering” for him.

In his interview with The Sun, he apologized to Holly for lying to her about his relationship, saying, “I’ve lost my best friend.”

He added, “I let her down. I missed that whole show. I disappointed the viewers. Holly didn’t know and she was one of the first texts I sent, to say “I’m so, so sorry I lied to you”.

“She didn’t answer and I understand why she didn’t answer either. So yeah, if anyone links Holly to this in any way, it’s absolutely, not true at all.’

The duo have co-hosted the show since 2009 and also co-hosted Dancing On Ice.

Holly’s return comes as the ITV show has been plagued with ‘toxicity’ allegations, including from former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes who claimed there was a ‘total cover-up’ over the Schofield affair.