Holly prepares for This Morning rescue mission: Willoughby is ‘determined to steer the show through these unprecedented times’ as she returns to the sofa to address the Schofield scandal tomorrow… but will she mention Phil by name?

• Holly Willoughby will return to This Morning after having spent half-term abroad 
• Sources say she will address the Schofield saga in a statement at the show’s start

Holly Willoughby will tomorrow make her return to host This Morning as she attempts to save the scandal-hit programme.

The presenter, 42, was said to still be deliberating over whether she will mention her former co-star Phillip Schofield by name.

But she urged fans to ‘maintain a positive perspective’ in a cryptic message shared on Instagram.

Sources close to Ms Willoughby, who will be joined by former Big Brother winner turned presenter Josie Gibson, confirmed she will address the saga in a statement at the beginning of the show, but it ‘won’t necessarily be Phil-specific’.

However, she will explain how she, her fellow presenters and behind-the-camera staff want to continue to make This Morning for their loyal viewers and that it is now about moving on to the next chapter.

Holly Willoughby (pictured on Thursday in Portugal) will tomorrow make her return to host This Morning as she attempts to save the scandal-hit programme. The mother-of-three spent much of her half-term break in Portugal thinking about what she will say on her return to the show

The presenter, 42, was said to still be deliberating over whether she will mention her former co-star Phillip Schofield by name. She and Schofield are pictured on This Morning sofa

The mother-of-three spent much of her half-term break in Portugal thinking about what she will say on her return to This Morning as the pressure on her to keep the under-fire programme going is increasing by the day.

A source close to the star told the Mail: ‘Holly’s return is a signal that she is determined to steer the show through these unprecedented times. Her priority is now to make the programme for the viewers watching at home. It’s a new chapter for her but also for the fans.

‘She knows how she addresses the situation is really important for them so she has asked several people for their thoughts so she can make sure it is absolutely right.

‘But how to deal with the issue of Phil, his departure from the show and his relationship with their former colleague, is something she has found very difficult. As of last night the final words hadn’t been decided on.’

In a post to the Instagram followers of her wellness brand Wydle Moon, Ms Willoughby shared an image of the so-called ‘strawberry moon’ seen in British skies late on Saturday night and wrote about its astrological significance.

‘This Full ‘strawberry’ moon in Sagittarius brings with it a zest for life,’ the post read.

‘The guiding influence of this fire sign combined with Jupiter encourages you to maintain a positive perspective and to tune into your finest qualities.’

She added: ‘Inspire. Renew. Believe.’ 

Sources close to Ms Willoughby, who will be joined by former Big Brother winner turned presenter Josie Gibson, (pictured in February) confirmed she will address the saga in a statement at the beginning of the show, but it ‘won’t necessarily be Phil-specific’

Ms Willoughby’s once close friendship with Schofield, 61, ended for good last month when he admitted to the Daily Mail that he had a relationship with a much younger ITV colleague – and lied about it.

Ever since, there has been speculation over whether Ms Willoughby could continue in her role if she had known about the affair.

But in a televised interview last Friday, her former co-star insisted it was ‘absolutely, wholly untrue’ to suggest she had any knowledge of his relationship.

Today’s show will be a big moment for Ms Willoughby, who presented This Morning alongside Schofield for 14 years. ITV bosses decided to team her up with Ms Gibson, 38, because she is seen by viewers as a ‘breath of fresh air’.

Alison Hammond, 48, hosted for most of last week with Dermot O’Leary, 50, to cover Ms Willoughby’s holiday.

His actions have left This Morning – for many years described as the ‘jewel in the crown’ for ITV – under threat, and there are fears it could be rebranded or even axed. Privately, employees have branded assurances from ITV executives that the show will continue as it is and with the same editorial team as ‘delusional’.

In a post to the Instagram followers of her wellness brand Wydle Moon, Ms Willoughby shared an image of the so-called ‘strawberry moon’ seen in British skies late on Saturday night and wrote about its astrological significance

Staff are also upset with This Morning’s editor Martin Frizell, who blamed claims of toxicity on the show on people who wanting to ‘settle scores’ in an interview with Sky News.

It is thought he was referring to former presenters Eamonn Holmes and Dr Ranj Singh, who have both made allegations of bullying behind the scenes of the popular show.

One staff member said: ‘When the editor has an attitude like that, why would anyone speak up and tell their own experiences of toxicity? It doesn’t feel like anyone actually wants to hear it.’

The Mail on Sunday revealed yesterday that Frizell was the subject of an investigation after a female member of staff complained about his behaviour.

ITV found no evidence to support the employee’s grievance.

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