holly this morning© Photo: Rex

Holly Willoughby makes surprise This Morning appearance for very special reason

The TV presenter is currently on her holiday break from the show

Senior Features Writer
July 29, 2021

Holly Willoughby might be on her summer break from ITV's This Morning – but it didn't stop the presenter from making a surprise appearance on Wednesday.

Appearing via video link, Holly was welcomed onto the show by Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford for a heartwarming reason.

MORE: Loved Holly Willoughby's white vintage summer dress? Check out these dreamy lookalikes

The TV star surprised studio guest Sophie, aged nine, who was visiting with her parents to fulfil her wish list of dream activities.

Eamonn explained: "Sophie's not well, she's been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, it is so hard for everybody because it's incurable. But she's come up with this list and you guys have decided to see it through."

WATCH: Holly Willoughby reveals exciting news while on holiday

Later in the interview, Ruth handed over Holly's Cinderella tiara from the This Morning pantomime, before Holly appeared on the screen to say hello to Sophie.

"Oh, Sophie it's so, so lovely to meet you! I'm so sorry I can't be there, but when I heard you were coming on the show, I was like 'Right, I want to be there, I want to see her'. And I wish I could but I'm sending you a big virtual cuddle through the screen," the mum-of-three said.

She then added: "I was thinking, 'What was my favourite outfit from This Morning?', and it had to be my Cinderella dress and the best bit about that Cinderella dress was that tiara! So that's my favourite thing! And you're a lucky girl because I asked if I could take that tiara home for my daughter and they said no!"

MORE: Ruth Langsford's adorable reaction to Eamonn Holmes' Kiss Cam fail revealed

MORE: Eamonn Holmes has the sweetest message for fans after granddaughter's birth

© Photo: Rex

Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford are filling in for Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield for the summer

Holly also gifted the young girl her water bottle from her time on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!: "Don't worry, I've cleaned it out, I shook out any spiders and any bugs, but that is a real bit of memorabilia I had that with me every single day, that was on set every day, so that's my bit of the jungle for you," she said.

Sophie and her parents opened up about the tough time they had been through. "She's been so positive about it," began her father, adding: "Unfortunately she had a 12 inch tumour that was removed back in September, and she relapsed back in June after nine months of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, so they've told us there's no cure. But, Sophie being Sophie just wants to be positive."

Speaking about her dream list, Sophie also added that she wished to meet Gordon Ramsay: "I like his cooking and I just like him as a person. He was nice, he did swear once!" 

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