Earlier this month, Holly Willoughby had to pull out of her presenting duties due to illness. The star of This Morning sent a text to her co-host Phillip Schofield, revealing that she had been struck down by a sickness bug and had even thrown up on her cat! Holly was replaced by her colleague Rylan Clarke-Neale, who has since joked that Holly's cat "had it coming".
"Most people go 'aww, poor cat' when they hear that story, but I say, that cat had it coming!" said Rylan. "That cat has peed on Holly's daughter, it ruined her daughter's birthday party… it had it coming." Rylan, who was speaking at the launch of This Morning Live from the ITV studios, stepped in last-minute to replace Holly just two hours before This Morning was due to air. Co-host Phillip told viewers: "Holly's not very well today so I've been given the most unlikely partner. I can't wait for this!" Phillip then introduced Rylan onto the sofa, adding: "Get well soon... She texted me this morning and said she got up and threw up all over the cat!"
Holly Willoughby with her pet cat Teddy
Holly, 36, was absent from the daytime TV show for two days. The second day she was replaced by Phillip's former Going Live! co-host Sarah Greene. After making her return, Holly tweeted: "Hi! I'm back! I didn't watch Monday because I was out of the count sleeping. I'm much better - it was 48 hours of grimness. [My daughter] Belle wasn't very well either."
Holly and husband Dan Baldwin have three children together
Some fans were quick to speculate that Holly was pregnant with her fourth child. She and husband Dan Baldwin are the parents to Harry, seven, Belle, six, and two-year-old Chester. The family also have two cats Bluebell and Teddy. Phillip has since spoken in his co-host's defence about the pregnancy rumours, telling The Mirror: "The minute she's off poorly everyone says she's pregnant. If we do an item with drinks she doesn't like and she doesn't have one, 'Ooh she must be pregnant'. It drives her mad."