Holly Willoughby returns tomorrow to present This Morning as she tries to salvage the scandal-ridden programme.
The presenter, 42, is still considering calling her former co-star Phillip Schofield by name.
But she urged fans to “keep a positive perspective” in a cryptic message shared on Instagram.
Sources close to Ms Willoughby, who will be joined by former Big Brother winner turned presenter Josie Gibson, confirmed she will cover the saga in a statement at the start of the show, but it “will not necessarily be Phil-specific ‘.
She does explain how she, her fellow presenters and employees behind the cameras want to continue making This Morning for their loyal viewers and that it is now important to move on to the next chapter.
Holly Willoughby (pictured in Portugal on Thursday) returns tomorrow to present This Morning as she tries to salvage the scandal-ridden programme. The mother of three spent much of her holiday in Portugal thinking about what she would say upon her return to the show
The presenter, 42, is still considering calling her former co-star Phillip Schofield by name. She and Schofield are pictured on the This Morning couch
The mother-of-three spent much of her vacation in Portugal thinking about what she’d say when she returns to This Morning, as the pressure on her to keep the under-fire program going grows by the day.
A source close to the star told the Mail: ‘Holly’s return is a signal that she is determined to see the show through these unprecedented times. Her priority now is to make the program for viewers at home. It’s a new chapter for her but also for the fans.
“She knows how she’s handling the situation is really important to them, so she’s asked several people for their opinion so she’s sure it’s absolutely right.
But she has found it very difficult to deal with the issue of Phil, his departure from the show and his relationship with their former colleague. Last night the last words were not yet decided.’
In a post to the Instagram followers of her wellness brand Wydle Moon, Ms. Willoughby shared an image of the so-called “strawberry moon” seen in the British sky late Saturday night and wrote about its astrological significance.
“This full ‘strawberry’ moon in Sagittarius brings joy of life,” the message read.
“This fire sign’s guiding influence in conjunction with Jupiter encourages you to maintain a positive perspective and align with your best qualities.”
She added, “Inspire. Refresh. To believe.’
Sources close to Ms Willoughby, who will be joined by former Big Brother winner turned presenter Josie Gibson, (pictured in February) confirmed she will be addressing the saga in a statement at the start of the show, but it won’t necessarily be se be Phil. -specifically’
Ms Willoughby’s once close friendship with 61-year-old Schofield ended for good last month when he admitted to the Daily Mail that he was dating a much younger ITV colleague – and lied about it.
There has since been speculation whether Mrs. Willoughby could have continued her role had she known about the affair.
But in a televised interview last Friday, her former co-star insisted it was “absolutely, totally untrue” to suggest she had any knowledge of his relationship.
Today’s show will be a big moment for Mrs Willoughby, who co-presented This Morning with Schofield for 14 years. ITV bosses decided to team her with Ms Gibson, 38, as she is seen by viewers as a ‘breath of a breath’.
Alison Hammond, 48, spent most of last week visiting Dermot O’Leary, 50, to cover Mrs Willoughby’s holiday.
His actions have seen This Morning – described for many years as the ‘jewel in the crown’ for ITV – under threat, and it is feared that it will be renamed or even axed. Privately, employees have received assurances from ITV executives that the show will continue as is and with the same editorial team as ‘delusional’.
In a post to the Instagram followers of her wellness brand Wydle Moon, Ms Willoughby shared an image of the so-called ‘strawberry moon’ seen in the British sky late Saturday night and wrote about its astrological significance
The staff are also angry at This Morning’s editor Martin Frizell, who in an interview with Sky News, blamed people ‘dealing’ with the show.
It is thought he was referring to former presenters Eamonn Holmes and Dr. Ranj Singh, both of whom have made allegations of bullying behind the scenes of the popular show.
One contributor said, “If the editor has that kind of attitude, why would anyone speak out and share their own experiences with toxicity?” It doesn’t feel like anyone really wants to hear it.’
The Mail on Sunday revealed yesterday that Frizell was the subject of an investigation after a female member of staff complained about his behaviour.
ITV found no evidence to support the employee’s complaint.