Holly Willoughby’s conspicuous absence from Monday’s episode of This Morning left viewers puzzled, as the popular presenter was replaced without any explanation for her non-appearance. This unexpected turn of events came right after Holly was seen enjoying herself at the renowned Glastonbury festival over the weekend.
In the preceding two weeks, Holly had been co-hosting the program alongside Dermot O’Leary, who is rumoured to be the frontrunner for the permanent position following Phillip Schofield’s controversial departure from This Morning at the end of the previous month.
While it is customary for Holly to take Thursdays off, she was also absent on Friday, with Alison Hammond stepping in to join Dermot as she does every week. Consequently, viewers were anticipating Holly’s return at the helm on Monday.
However, when Lorraine Kelly linked live to This Morning after her own show, Holly was conspicuously missing, and it was Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle who were seated beside her.
Shortly thereafter, as the opening credits rolled, Craig made a brief statement addressing Holly’s absence, assuring fans that she would be back the following day but providing no further details regarding the reason behind her absence.
Notably, Holly and Craig had previously co-hosted together earlier in the month, and many viewers remarked on the apparent joy Holly exuded during their collaboration, suggesting that Craig was the “perfect” colleague for her.
Speculation arose when images emerged of Holly arriving at Glastonbury by helicopter on Friday. Prompted by these images and the possibility that her weekend escapades at the music festival could account for her absence, one Twitter user remarked, “noticed Holly Willoughby wasn’t on This Morning today probably nursing her Glastonbury hangover she went there,” while another quipped, “Holly must be hungover.”
Interestingly, some viewers embraced the presence of Josie and Craig, expressing their satisfaction with the stand-in hosts. One fan, seemingly unconcerned about Holly’s absence, eagerly commented, “Who cares why Holly isn’t in, we got Josie and Craig.” Echoing this sentiment, another viewer added, “‘Holly will be back tomorrow.’ It’s OK… I didn’t ask #thismorning. But why not just keep Josie and Craig all week?”
Despite the lingering curiosity surrounding Holly’s unexpected absence, fans of the show found solace in the capable hands of the substitute hosts, eagerly awaiting Holly’s return while appreciating the fresh dynamic brought by Josie and Craig.
