Advertisement

Holly Willoughby explains 'This Morning' absence due to 'change of career'

Freddie Flintoff, Holly Willoughby, Chris Kamara and Alex Scott present The Games. (Initial Productions)
Holly Willoughby, is joining Freddie Flintoff, Chris Kamara and Alex Scott to present The Games. (Initial Productions)

Holly Willoughby has joked her absence from This Morning is due to her decision to start a new career as a cheerleader.

Phillip Schofield was joined by Rochelle Humes to host the ITV morning show on Monday 9 May as Willoughby prepares to host the live reboot of celebrity sports contest The Games every evening this week.

Willoughby, 41, revealed on social media: "Morning… going to miss my @thismorning family this week however I’ve had a change of career and become a Cheerleader… it was only a matter of time @thegamestv."

Read more: Holly Willoughby in tears as Julia Bradbury opens up about cancer battle

The Dancing On Ice and Freeze the Fear presenter will be joined by ex-cricketer and Top Gear star Freddie Flintoff to host The Games.

The sporting reality TV contest was originally broadcast on Channel 4, where it ran for four series between 2003 and 2006.

It relaunches at 9pm on ITV every evening from Monday, 9 May to Friday 13 May featuring 12 celebrities who include Strictly Come Dancing pro Kevin Clifton, ex-Coronation Street star Ryan Thomas, and model and TV star Christine McGuinness.

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby
Holly Willoughby is not presenting This Morning with Phillip Schofield this week. (ITV)

Professional dancer Clifton told Good Morning Britain that his dance background was not helping his Olympic efforts as much as viewers might expect.

He revealed: “People keep saying for each event, ‘Oh, you’re a dancer, you’re going to be good at this’, but for most of them, doing the 400 metres or doing the hurdles or something, I don’t know how much doing the paso doble translates to it.

Kevin Clifton attends the
Strictly dancer Kevin Clifton is competing in The Games. (PA)

Clifton added: “I keep doing this thing that we call spotting in dancing where you keep turning and leaving your head in one place.

“So rather than swinging around with a hammer, I’m sort of giving you a flamboyant dance turn and I’m trying to get out of that habit.”

Other contestants - who have been training for weeks ahead of the show - are former Love Island stars Olivia Attwood and Wes Nelson, Mel B's daughter Phoenix Brown, The Wanted's Max George and Harry Potter actor Josh Herdman.

The celebrity contestants have been training hard. (Initial Productions)
The Games will see celebrity contestants compete in sporting events on ITV. (Initial Productions)

Coronation Street's Colson Smith and Emmerdale's Rebecca Sarker are also taking part, along with newsreader Lucrezia Millarini and footballer and singer Chelcee Grimes.

The contestants have had a crash course in various Olympic disciplines which will cover the athletics arena, gym, swimming pool and cycling track.

Read more: Holly Willoughby gets a fright as 'enormous' spider invades This Morning

A big-name line-up of sporting stars will make guest appearances each night to offer advice and insight, beginning with World Heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury and Olympic Gold medallists heptathlete Denise Lewis and diver Matty Lee.

Watch: Holly Willoughby giggles as she discusses health benefits of self-pleasure