Holly Willoughby in talks with BBC about 'other…

Holly Willoughby in talks with BBC about 'other opportunities' amid This Morning drama

The BBC is said to be in talks with This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby about TV opportunities they could offer her.

According to reports, top executives are plotting new shows for the host and within the past few days one chief contacted her directly. The timing comes amid the controversy involving her former co-host Phillip Schofield, who left ITV in May following an affair with a younger colleague.

Holly, 42, built up a good relationship with BBC bosses while presenting ice challenge show Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof last year. And BBC bosses are said to have held high-level talks about projects they could offer Holly, who was set to return home last night after a family break.

A source told The Mirror: "Holly has had a good relationship and an open dialogue with BBC bosses since she hosted Freeze the Fear. Ever since then they have been keen to sign her up for another project and have bent over backwards to offer her other opportunities.

"So the ongoing drama at ITV has played into their hands. The bosses have had conversations this week about what they could offer her going forward. And one executive reached out to her directly earlier in the week.

"Holly was still away on holiday at the time. But she really values her relationship with the BBC and the friendships she has built up there."

News of the BBC approach came as the British Soap Awards went ahead last night. Phillip, 61, had been booked to host the event. But following his departure from the channel, singer Jane McDonald stepped in to present the event, which goes out on ITV on Tuesday.

Phillip agreed to quit This Morning last month as a rift between him and Holly deepened. He quit ITV altogether after admitting to an affair with a male colleague more than 30 years his junior.

Holly – who co-hosted Freeze the Fear with Lee Mack – Holly is expected back on the sofa at This Morning tomorrow, alongside Josie Gibson. She was on holiday in the Algarve as the ITV crisis reached fever pitch last week.

She has close ties with a number of BBC execs. Chief content officer Charlotte Moore is a friend and they were pictured socialising together at last year's Variety showbusiness awards. Holly and TV executive husband Dan Baldwin have also become close to Kalpna Patel-Knight, who was given a new BBC role of head of entertainment commissioning last year.

It was Kalpna who offered Holly the job of hosting the BBC's revamp of Survivor earlier this year – which she turned down after it clashed with her This Morning schedule. The role went to another ITV talent, The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett.

But the dialogue between Holly and Kalpna has continued. And they are understood to have had multiple conversations since This Morning was plunged into chaos.

The source added: "Kalpna, Dan and Holly have been very, very tight since they worked on Freeze the Fear together. They are talking to each other regularly.

"Kalpna has been keen to work with Holly again ever since and offered her Survivor. She was desperate to sign her up for that. But Holly couldn’t make it work alongside her filming schedule for This Morning. Ever since then, Kalpna has been keen to find another format for her and the recent developments at ITV may well open the door for that.

"If somehow This Morning does survive, losing Holly would be an absolute hammer blow."

One insider told The Mirror: "You can't underestimate the impact this scandal has had on the team behind the show. It has been absolutely seismic."