Cat Deeley Shares Holly Willoughby’s Heartwarming Support After Taking Over This Morning Role
Cat Deeley has opened up about the touching support she received from Holly Willoughby after stepping into the permanent role of co-host on This Morning. Holly’s departure from the ITV daytime show in October last year came as a shock to many, following her 14-year tenure alongside Phillip Schofield, who had exited in May after admitting to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger colleague.
At the time of her departure, Holly, 43, expressed that it had been an “honor to just be part of its story,” but ultimately made the decision to leave for the sake of her family. In a heartfelt Instagram post, she 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.”
Holly continued, “This is such a difficult goodbye. You are incredible, and I will forever be proud of what we’ve done together. 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.”
She added, “Richard and Judy said, ‘We only look after this show; it will always belong to the viewers.’ It’s been an honor 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.”
Earlier this year, Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard took over the main hosting roles, leading the show from Monday to Thursday, while Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond continued their usual Friday slot.
As they prepared to return to the program following a summer break, Cat and Ben shared insights into their experience on the show so far in a joint interview and photoshoot. They also revealed that their predecessors had reached out to offer support, with Cat highlighting Holly’s thoughtful gesture.
Speaking to The Daily Mail, Cat shared, “It was the most beautiful surprise to get a gorgeous bunch of flowers and a handwritten note in my dressing room from Holly. So we’ve been texting, and we’re a bit like, ‘When the dust settles, we’ll have a glass of champagne.'”
Reflecting on their This Morning debut, Cat expressed disbelief at how quickly time has passed. “I actually can’t believe it’s been nearly six months,” she said. “I know we started in March, but that was a bit of a blur because I’d just come back from the States, and we had seen each other over a Zoom call, but we hadn’t really done much else before we started, had we?”
Ben then shared a lighthearted moment from their early days on the show, revealing, “No. We came in one Sunday morning, and I had been out the Saturday night before and only had about three hours of sleep!” Surprised, Cat responded, “Well, you certainly didn’t tell me that on the day,” to which Ben replied, “No, I was being very well-behaved, and I then had to go to West Ham to do some filming for the show too!”