Cat Deeley praises Holly Willoughby for ‘classy’ This Morning support

Cat Deeley has praised Holly Willoughby for supporting her taking over as a lead presenter on This Morning.

Willoughby, 43, departed the ITV morning programme last year, saying she was having to make the decision for herself and her family.

It also came amid allegations of a plot to kidnap, rape and murder her emerged. Security guard Gavin Plumb was later jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years.

Deeley, who along with Willoughby was a presenter for a spell on children’s music chart show CD:UK, became co-host of This Morning with former Good Morning Britain star Ben Shephard earlier this year.

Recalling Willoughby’s support, the 47-year-old told the Sunday Times: “Holly sent me a beautiful bunch of flowers and a handwritten card.

If it gets too much for me I'm going to quit. I don't need to do it. I could stop and be a mum for most of the year, and then go and do the shows in America
Cat Deeley

“It was a really classy move, it really touched me.

“At some stage, once the dust settles, I’m sure we will get together.

“People always talk about women being pitted against other women, but actually it’s just not true.”

She also spoke about the increased scrutiny from the press and public since joining the ITV chat show.

Deeley agreed the response has “shocked her” and added: “Everyone keeps checking in with me, ‘Are you OK? Are you handling this all right?'”

“I don’t care. I do not care. If it gets too much for me I’m going to quit. I don’t need to do it. I could stop and be a mum for most of the year, and then go and do the shows in America.

“There is no ulterior motive for me doing this.”

Holly Willoughby quit as presenter of This Morning last year (Lucy North/PA)PA Archive/PA Images - Lucy North

Deeley, who has two children with Northern Irish comedian and The Late Late Show presenter Patrick Kielty, has hosted US talent show So You Think You Can Dance for most of its 18 seasons.

She says she did not have the same reception in the US and called increased focus on her a “very British thing”.

Deeley added it is “clickbait” and “really nothing more than that”, while also suggesting the social media complaints are from “some nameless, faceless person at the end of a keyboard?”

“It doesn’t even touch the sides,” she added.

Willoughby, who used to co-host This Morning with Phillip Schofield before he left ITV over an “unwise, but not illegal” affair, will host a new Netflix show in which adventurer Bear Grylls hunts down celebrities in the jungle.

She is also set to host ITV gameshow You Bet! with Stephen Mulhern.

Mulhern replaced Schofield to present Dancing On Ice on ITV with Willoughby.