Holly Willoughby 'set to quit This Morning to chase prime time TV dreams'
The end of daytime TV as we know it could be imminent amid reports that Holly Willoughby is set to kiss Philip Schofield goodbye and quit This Morning after 11 years
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Holly Willougby is set to quit This Morning after 11 years to pursue work in prime time TV – according to reports.
The 39-year-old star has been a co-host of the hit ITV daytime show alongside Phillip Schofield since 2009.
However it is reported she is going to be hanging up her microphone on the long-running daytime talk show to follow bigger dreams.
The news comes after Holly quit Celebrity Juice and also walked away from her management company to set up a rival firm of her own.
The Sun on Sunday reports Holly is preparing to bid farewell to Phillip and This Morning crew as she aims to take more control of her career.
A source told the publication: “Holly is unique in that women like her and want to be her friend and men are attracted to her as she’s so beautiful. She has universal appeal.
“Being a working mum-of-three means parents can relate to her, and she seemingly understands everyday struggles.
“While she loves This Morning, her four-day-a-week live TV stint is a huge drain on her time and requires a lot of energy, plus she’s been doing it for 11 years now.
"There’s always change afoot in the broadcasting industry and she’s got her options open to sign up to other profitable opportunities.”
Holly shocked fans earlier this year when she announced she was quitting her role as a team captain on long-running ITV game show Celebrity Juice after 12 years.
And earlier this month it was revealed she was quitting celebrity agency YMU Entertainment to set up her own business with an all-female team.
Mum-of-three Holly – who shares son Harry, 11, daughter Belle, nine, and five-year-old son Chester with husband Dan Baldwin – is rumoured now to be seeking prime time jobs that would make it easier to balance work and home life.
Meanwhile, rumours of her This Morning departure coincide with ITV plans to diversify their line-up of daytime presenters.
The channel launched a diversity acceleration plan in July to increase the number of jobs to be made available from other ethnicities.
While ITV was slammed in reports last October when the channel had only one non-white presenter present on their entire day of daytime shows.
This Morning's main line-up of hosts is exclusively white, with Holly and Phillip anchoring the show on Monday-Thursday, while husband and wife dream couple Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford helm the show on Fridays.
The Sun claim that This Morning substitute hosts Rochelle Humes and Alison Hammond "have been touted for more significant roles in the shake-up."
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