Last week marked one year since Holly Willoughby sensationally quit This Morning with immediate effect after it emerged she had been the subject of a horrifying kidnap, rape and murder plot. With security guard Gavin Plumb handed a life sentence in July for the crime, Holly, 43, has been bravely piecing her life back together as she slowly adjusts to being back in the public eye.
But she has now been dealt a fresh blow as the details of her bitter fallout with former best friend and co-host Phillip Schofield have been made public, with reports he called her ‘The Witch’ and told her, ‘You brought me down’, in shock WhatsApp messages after he was axed by ITV – claims Phillip was yet to respond to as heat went to press.
With their once-close bond seemingly past the point of repair, sources tell us Holly has been rebuilding her other celebrity friendships as she prepares to return to screens – and one of the first famous faces she has reconnected with is Fearne Cotton, who’s said to be helping Holly cope with her trauma.
The two presenters met as teens and were inseparable in the early noughties, with them frequently pictured on wild nights out together. But their friendship suffered when Fearne quit their TV show Celebrity Juice in 2018. Now, an insider tells heat, ‘There was nothing dramatic – they just drifted apart and failed to check in with one another, until the lack of contact went on for so long, they felt their friendship had sadly moved on. But Fearne, in particular, has put her hand up to say that she takes accountability for a lot of it, because her life changed so drastically and she wanted to step away from the showbiz world. Fearne was disillusioned, so she put her energy into launching and building her wellness brand.’
But Fearne has now reached out to Holly – who she was last pictured with in 2022 for a Celebrity Juice reunion – and is helping her find peace after learning techniques from experts on her Happy Place podcast. We’re told, ‘Holly was really chuffed to hear from Fearne, having been through such a rough time of it. Fearne is so wise these days, she’s an expert in putting her mental health first, having spoken to some of the world’s best therapists and experts on her podcast.’
The source continues, ‘Fearne’s been open about her struggles with fame and has worked out a lot of her problems on the show, so she felt that she could really be of help to Holly. They’ve both had similar experiences being in the spotlight from a young age, and Fearne has learnt all about the trauma that attention can bring you.’
But it hasn’t been a one- way street. ‘Holly has been a good shoulder for Fearne to cry on, too,’ says the insider. ‘Fearne can’t believe how strong Holly has been dealing with the kidnap plot and keeping a dignified silence over the Schofield saga. It’s been an emotional reconnection for them. They’ve agreed that life is too short to be falling out. Even though Fearne initiated it, Holly had been missing their friendship. It feels like they’ve come full circle as they both had ups and downs, but they’re both now into health and wellness and have lifestyle brands.’
The source adds, ‘They need each other now more than ever as they go way back. Fearne thinks Holly has been a warrior and Holly thinks Fearne has been brave to choose to do things her way. They both want to take a leaf out of each other’s books and learn from each other now they’re older, wiser, and finally friends again.’