Josie Gibson was by Holly Willoughby’s side yesterday to offer a much-needed hug as the presenter gave a statement about the scandal surrounding her former co-host Phillip Schofield.
Josie first rose to fame after appearing on reality show Big Brother and she was selected as Holly's co-presenter for the first episode back after the Schofield scandal.
Insiders say that Josie could be the secret ingredient to saving the show from disaster, writes The Mirror.
Josie first captured the nation's hearts in 2010, just 18 minutes after winning Big Brother, she ran back into the house for Ultimate Big Brother, although she quit the reality show to be reunited with her housemate-turned-boyfriend, John James Parton.
Sadly, Josie and John James didn’t last the distance, however Josie went on to become a darling of women’s magazines, thanks to her relatability and good humour.
She struggled publicly with her weight, turning to yo-yo diets and she revealed that she been struggling with body image since the age of six. In 2012, Josie lost a whopping six stone and went from a size 20 to a size 8, and in 2016 she underwent surgery to remove loose skin. She told a Channel 5 documentary “I am obsessed with food – I love it, have no off button and lick the plate. At times I’ve been so desperate to stop eating that I’ve left the dinner table and gone and put a bikini on for 20 minutes. But it still doesn’t work.”
The mum-of-one was so desperate to keep the weight off, she even used diet pills. “They were meant to flush out fat but left me with spag bol in my pants,” she confessed with her trademark candour. Nevertheless, a range of weight loss books and exercise DVDs followed snapped up by fans.
In 2017, Josie was heartbroken when claims emerged her man Sam Player cheated on her with other women.
She fumed: “It looks like he picks single mothers and vulnerable women. They all told me he’s got a real nasty side and have claimed he’s been threatening.” Branding him “manipulative”, she claimed she could “open a women’s refuge off the back of this f***er”.
She then found love with family friend Terry during their 18-month relationship. But four months after Josie gave birth to their baby son Reggie, they split. “I always thought that we’d get our dream house together. Maybe it’s me, maybe I’m just not good with men,” she revealed.
The 38-year-old now says life as a busy single mum is tricky but rewarding. “It’s an absolute juggle but I make it work,” she explains.
Josie is well loved by ITV fans when she appears on the show, and when Schofield was dramatically axed from the show last month, bosses were convinced Josie was the perfect co-host to settle Holly’s nerves as she addressed This Morning fans for the first time since the scandal unfolded.
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