LONDON (Reuters) – Television presenter Holly Willoughby, one of Britain’s most high-profile broadcasters, quit as co-host of ITV’s popular daytime programme ‘This Morning’ on Tuesday, citing the need to prioritise her family.
In a post on Instagram, Willoughby said she had informed ITV bosses she would not be returning to the show she had helped host for 14 years.
“This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we’ve done together. Thank you to everyone at ITV for being supportive,” Willoughby said in a statement.
“Sadly, however, I now feel I have to make this decision for me and my family.”
In May, Willoughby’s long-term co-host Philip Schofield resigned from ITV, saying he had an “unwise but not illegal” relationship with his colleague, who was a teenager when the presenter first met him.
ITV, Britain’s biggest free-to-air commercial broadcaster, called Willoughby “one of the best loved, respected and most accomplished broadcasters in the UK”.
“We are sad that Holly is leaving This Morning, but respect her decision which we know will have been extremely difficult for her to make,” said ITV’s Managing Director, Media and Entertainment, Kevin Lygo.
(Reporting by Farouq Suleiman; editing by William James)
