Morninggate - Daily Mail: Holly Willoughby WILL return to This Morning on Monday

Story from Daily Mail:

Holly Willoughby will return on Monday to present This Morning alongside Josie Gibson, it emerged today.

The news was revealed during the last moments of today's episode by stand-in host Alison Hammond, who said: 'Holly will be back on Monday with Josie.'

Gibson, 38, has appeared regularly on the show since 2019 and guest presented several episodes.

It can also be revealed that Phillip Schofield's eldest daughter Molly only found out about her father's statement to the Daily Mail in which he admitted lying over the relationship with the man just minutes before the story broke.

Friends say that she was at work at YMU, the talent agency that represented Schofield for 35 years, when she found out.

Staff there say she was in such shock she had to be comforted before going home.

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee has today written to Dame Carolyn asking her to attend Parliament at 10am on Wednesday, June 14.

It comes after she was forced into a humiliating climbdown yesterday by announcing the broadcaster was bringing in a barrister to 'carry out an external review to establish the facts' around the chaos that has engulfed ITV since Schofield made his statement last week.

Holly Willoughby is spending half term more than a thousand miles away from the This Morning drama as she holidays with family in Portugal, it has also been revealed.

The ITV star has been pictured out for dinner with her parents Linda and Brian, sister Kelly, and three children near to her £8million Algarve villa.

An onlooker said Willoughby, 42, appeared to be trying to stay under the radar, wearing a hat and sunglasses.

'The area is a holiday hotspot for Brits, so she is probably worried about being asked about the This Morning scandal,' they told The Sun.

'At one point, Holly spoke at length to a waiter who it seemed like she knew personally.

'She seemed to be having a great time - unlike her old pal Phillip.'

Willoughby is believed to have spent the week in the 23C sun as the Phillip Schofield scandal deepens.

Willoughby is due to return to This Morning next Monday following the half-term break, having taken the early holiday when news of Schofield's departure emerged.

Willoughby has been silent since putting out an Instagram statement on Saturday which said it had 'taken time to process yesterday's news' following Schofield's statement, adding: 'When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not. It's been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie.'

She is due to return to This Morning next Monday following the half-term break, but former presenter Eamonn Holmes predicted she will not return to the sofa following Schofield's bombshell exit.