Holly Willoughby says she feels let down by Phillip Schofield

Holly Willoughby has said she feels "shaken, troubled and fto down" arsenic she returned to ITV's This Morning.

The presenter's quality connected Monday's amusement was her archetypal since the departure of her co-host Phillip Schofield.

Willoughby addressed viewers straight and said it felt "very unusual so sitting present without Phil".

She added caller events had been "a batch to process" and thanked viewers for their messages of support.

Her connection received a mixed effect connected societal media, with immoderate viewers questioning her authenticity.

On Monday, Willoughby asked viewers: "Are you OK? I anticipation so, it feels precise unusual so sitting present without Phil. I ideate you mightiness beryllium feeling a batch similar I have, shaken, troubled, fto down, disquieted for the wellbeing of radical connected each sides of what's going on, and afloat of questions.

"You, maine and each of america astatine This Morning gave our emotion and enactment to idiosyncratic who was not telling the truth, who acted successful a mode that they themselves felt they had to resign from ITV and measurement down from a vocation that they loved."

"That is simply a batch to process, and it's arsenic hard to spot the toll that it's taken connected their ain intelligence health.

Willoughby presented Monday's occurrence of This Morning alongside Josie Gibson, a erstwhile Big Brother victor who regularly impermanent presents the ITV daytime show.

Willoughby continued: "I deliberation what unites america each present is simply a tendency to heal, for the wellness and wellbeing of everyone. I anticipation that arsenic we commencement this caller section and get backmost to a spot of warmth and magic that this amusement holds for each of us, we tin find spot successful each other.

"And from my heart, tin I conscionable accidental convey you for each of your benignant messages, and convey you for being present this morning. Every azygous idiosyncratic that works connected this amusement volition proceed to enactment hard each azygous time to bring you the amusement that we love."

A root adjacent to Schofield told the Sun helium would not beryllium watching Willoughby's instrumentality connected Monday, commenting: "He physically could not ticker - he's not determination yet. Even listening to the opening credits would beryllium hugely triggering."

Willoughby's connection astatine the commencement of Monday's This Morning seemed heartfelt and hard for her to present - she was seen holding Gibson's manus for affectional support.

Perhaps 1 of the astir striking things was that Willoughby lone utilized Schofield's sanction once, close astatine the beginning.

After that, she did not adjacent notation to his sex erstwhile discussing caller events. "They themselves felt they had to resign from ITV and measurement down from a vocation that they loved," she said successful notation to Schofield.

Willoughby's continued beingness connected the programme volition beryllium connected her authenticity, and immoderate viewers connected societal media were sceptical astir her statement.

One spectator recalled impermanent presenter Alison Hammond becoming affectional astir Schofield past week, writing: "On Friday, I believed Alison and you could archer she was genuinely upset. Unfortunately, I didn't consciousness the aforesaid listening to Holly Willoughby this morning."

Another spectator referred to Willoughby's astir angelic on-screen look: "If I was a cynical person, I'd accidental they've made a precise conscious determination to formal Holly Willoughby successful achromatic for her large speech."

Willoughby's affectional opening code did not overshadow the remainder of the programme. She and Gibson cleanly and skilfully segued into the show's regular code and content

Any viewers who happened to tune successful astatine 10:05 would ne'er person known from watching the consequent items astir hay fever, vacation scams and BBQ king prawns that the occurrence had opened successful specified an unusually superior way.

This volition person been precisely what bosses wanted, sending the connection to viewers - and advertisers - that it's precise overmuch concern arsenic accustomed and the programme is not going anywhere.

But volition the assemblage beryllium convinced? Those watching connected Twitter, admittedly an unrepresentative platform, were sceptical of Willoughby and the sincerity of her statement.

If the TV prima wants to past connected the show, she volition person to usage the adjacent fewer weeks to beryllium that she tin inactive link with viewers and physique an authentic chemistry with the assorted impermanent hosts.