Holly Willoughby was missing from This Morning on Monday and will be absent for the rest of the summer as she started her break earlier than many viewers were anticipating.
For years now, it's been the norm for Holly and now former co-host Phillip Schofield to take time off during school holidays, with the longest spell being at the end of the school year. But, while many pupils across the UK have yet to begin their lengthy time away from the classroom, Holly has already begun her This Morning absence.
Many ITV viewers would have assumed she'd be hosting Monday's edition of the daytime programme, given that she'd been at the helm for the last two weeks, alongside Craig Doyle, but instead, neither Holly or Craig were in the studio, as colleagues Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary did the honours.
What makes Holly's no show all the more surprising is that, in years gone by, she and Phillip have announced their summer leave live on air, signing off with a 'see you soon' message to fans, but there was none of that from Holly as she and Craig hosted their last show together on Thursday, July 6.
Alison and Dermot's stint as main hosts comes just 24 hours after ITV bosses shot down rumours of growing tension between the seemingly jovial pair, after reports that their relationship behind the scenes is becoming 'increasingly' strained.
AS reported by the Mail on Sunday, a source claimed: "Recently things have become strained and it is worrying the bosses, they fear that this couple they put together which they had hoped would carry the show through the tough times it is enduring may have to present apart a bit more."
However, refuting the speculation, ITV spokesperson, who said: ""This is absolute nonsense. There’s no tension between Alison and Dermot, quite the opposite."
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