Entertainment
Holly Willoughby announces absence from This Morning
This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby will be absent from the show for the “rest of the week” due to illness.
The 42-year-old has already been away along with co-presenter Phillip Schofield, 61, for the Easter holidays, but will extend her leave to recover from shingles.
Writing in an Instagram post, Willoughby said: “Hi… Just to let you know I may be away for the rest of the week as I have shingles… I’ll be back as soon as I’m better. Huge love, Holly.”
Willoughby announced she had shingles on social media. Pic: Instagram
Shingles is an infection that produces a painful rash on the body and is caused by the chickenpox virus, according to the NHS.
It commonly affects the chest or abdomen, but a rash can appear anywhere on the body including the face, eyes and genitals.
The hit ITV talk show confirmed that Schofield will return to the programme on Monday, with former The Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes stepping in for Willoughby.
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The presenting duo have not been seen on the sofa together for some time after Schofield took leave from the show at the beginning of the month while his brother Timothy Schofield appeared in court.
The 54-year-old was charged with 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019 at Exeter Crown Court on 3 April.
Timothy Schofield was found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage boy
Following the verdicts, Schofield branded his brother’s crimes “despicable” and said: “As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother.
“My overwhelming concern is and has always been for the wellbeing of the victim and his family.
“These are despicable crimes, and I welcome the guilty verdicts.”
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During his brothers testimony he said he told the This Morning presenter that he and the complainant had watched pornography together in September 2021.
Schofield provided a written statement to the trial, which said his brother Timothy “made it sound like a one-off” and that he had told him “it must never happen again”.