Holly Willoughby has taken an extended break from her presenting duties on This Morning. Monday morning's edition of the show was instead fronted by Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary as they gear up to host more regularly for the rest of the summer.
The TV presenter has not spoken out publicly about taking leave from the ITV programme and hosted her final show for the time being last Thursday, however, Holly usually takes a break from her presenting gig during the school holidays so it's likely that the star has simply taken her usual annual leave.
The mother-of-three is due to return to This Morning in September, according to the Independent.
Meanwhile, Holly's family suffered a heartbreaking loss recently when she announced the passing of her mother-in-law. Confirming the sad news on her Instagram, the 42-year-old shared a photo of her loved one and wrote in the caption: "Sleep well Sandra… Nonna, Mother, Sister, friend… To know her was to know strength itself.
MORE: This Morning's Dermot O'Leary apologises to Holly Willoughby in light-hearted moment after blunder
© Ken McKay/ITV/ShutterstockShe continued: "Raising four children after losing her husband, she then lost a son and more recently her sister… Thank you for your guidance, advice and bottomless Prosecco. Thank you for raising the incredible man I'm married to… I see your strength everyday in our children… Be at peace…Love you."
The star also faced a tough time last month when her former co-star Phillip Schofield announced his departure from the show after 20 years, following his affair with a member of staff.
© Ken McKay/ITV/ShutterstockHolly, who has been hosting alongside a range of regular ITV faces since Phillip left including Dermot O'Leary, Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle, addressed the scandal on her return to This Morning.
"Right, deep breath," the presenter said as she opened the show back in June, before asking her audience: "Firstly, are you OK? I hope so."
© Ken McKay/ITV/ShutterstockIn the address, she said she felt "worried, shaken, troubled, let down and full of questions". "You, me and everyone here put our trust in someone who was not telling the truth, who acted in a way that they themselves felt that they had to resign from ITV and step down from a career that they loved," she continued.
"That is a lot to process. It's equally hard to see the toll it's taken on their own mental health. I think what unites us all now is a desire to heal for the health and well-being of everyone. I hope that as we start this new chapter and get back to a place of warmth and magic that the show holds for all of us, we can find strength in each other. From my heart, thank you for all of your kind messages."
