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This Morning announces co-host for Holly Willoughby's return

holly willoughby, this morning
This Morning confirms new co-host for Holly returnKen McKay/ITV/Shutterstock

ITV has confirmed that Josie Gibson will step in as a host on This Morning for Holly Willoughby's return.

It's been announced that Gibson will be joining Willoughby on the sofa for Monday's show. The news was announced by Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary at the end of today's (June 2) programme.

"Holly Willoughby returns to This Morning on Monday June 5th and will co-present with members of the This Morning family, as confirmed in our 20th May statement," the broadcaster said (via ITV.com).

"Josie Gibson will be hosting with Holly on Monday, as mentioned at the end of today's show."

holly willoughby, this morning
Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock

Related: British Soap Awards announces new host to replace Phillip Schofield

This will be the first time Willoughby has appeared on This Morning since long-running presenter Phillip Schofield departed the show, and later resigned from ITV completely, after confirming he had an affair with a younger male colleague.

He apologised for having "lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family".

After the news broke, Willoughby released a statement of her own via her Instagram Stories, saying: "It's taken time to process yesterday's news.

"When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not. It's been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie."

phillip schofield interview
BBC

In his initial statement, Schofield said that he had engaged in a "consensual" relationship, calling his actions "unwise, but not illegal". He added that he had lied about the affair in an effort to "protect" the ex-colleague.

He has since given an emotional interview with the BBC saying he now believes that his "career is over", and detailed the impact the situation has had on his mental health.

ITV previously said it investigated reports of a relationship between Schofield and his younger colleague, but that both parties had repeatedly denied it. As a result, ITV has now commissioned a formal, external review of what happened.

This Morning airs on ITV1.

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