Holly Willoughby sparks concern as she misses This Morning – with Alison Hammond her last-minute replacement
HOLLY Willoughby has sparked concern after missing This Morning today – with Alison Hammond drafted in as her last-minute replacement.
The 39-year-old star was notably absent when the show kicked off at 10am, with viewers claiming Alison and co-host Phillip Schofield “brushed over” the reason why.
Kicking off today’s show, Alison said: “I’m standing in for Holly today as she enjoys a well-deserved day off.”
But fans weren’t buying it, flocking to Twitter to share their worried reaction to the news – even pointing out that Holly had said yesterday she’d be back on our screens today.
One fan wrote: “No way is Holly just having a ‘well deserved day off’, yesterday Phil said him and Holly was playing guess the gadget tomorrow so something has happened.”
Another agreed: “So Holly is just having a day off? Something’s not right here.”
A third wrote: “As Holly said she’d be playing guess the gadget yesterday I’m guessing it’s not a planned day off.”
So holly is just having a day off
—somethings not right here
Lisa
#ThisMorning odd that Holly has a “day off” yesterday she was talking about doing guess the gadget, Covid, self isolating????? #justsaying
—travelprincess99
Alison stepping in for Holly comes just days after there was outrage that she and Dermot O’Leary will be replacing Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford as the regular Friday hosts of the daytime show.
Eamonn and Ruth have been regulars on the programme for 14 years, and are “furious and upset” by the decision – with it later appearing that they may have been completely blindsided by it.
In an interview with new! magazine just last week, 60-year-old Ruth insisted that she didn’t know anything about a line-up change on This Morning – and that she wasn’t worried about losing her job.
When asked if the show was headed for a shake-up, Ruth told the publication: “There’s always talk, I don’t know. Not that anybody’s told me.”
Insisting that she had no concerns about being given the boot, Ruth later added: “I think I am very good at what I do, and as long as they want me I’ll be there.
“I’ve been doing it a very long time and it seems we’ve been very popular, so I presume all those things will be taken into consideration.”
Eamonn and Ruth have presented Friday’s episode of This Morning since 2006 – but they will now only be called in for the summer holidays when main hosts Holly and Phil take their six-week break.
They will then take over presenting duties for Monday – Thursday, but Alison and Dermot will be the new weekly faces for Friday’s shows.
The new hosts previously impressed bosses when they hosted the show together over the summer, with producers keen to add more diversity to their line-up.
But their predecessors have been left understandably hurt by the decision.
A source shared: “Eamonn is pretty furious and everyone feels for him and Ruth, they are well liked on the team, but sometimes tough decisions have to be made.”
Speaking of Alison and Dermot, the source added to The Mirror: “They have real warmth. It’s time for change and they are perfect.”
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A TV insider previously told The Sun that Eamonn feared he was “too pale, stale and male” to remain a regular face on This Morning for much longer.
Furious fans have since vowed to boycott the show in solidarity with the couple, with many claiming that the decision was unfair.
Earlier this week, eagle-eyed fans spotted a tribute to Eamonn and Ruth on the set.
Mugs with the letters ‘E’ and ‘R’ were spotted sitting prominently on a shelf at the start of the show.