Dancing on Ice presenter Holly Willoughby left This Morning after a plan to kidnap and murder her was discovered

Holly Willoughby

Holly Willoughby has finally discussed her challenging year and a half, saying “it’s been tough”. In her first public interview since stepping down from This Morning, the 43 year old presenter confessed the decision to leave the ITV show was “an easy” one.

Holly chose to leave behind all her presenting duties upon discovering a sinister plan for her kidnapping and murder. This shocking revelation followed a much-discussed disagreement with her co-host Phillip Schofield.

In a conversation with The Sunday Times Style Magazine, she expressed: “It’s been tough. There’s no way of sugar-coating it.”

Holly went on to discuss her rationale for needing to keep moving forward, despite adversity, as she told the magazine: “Sometimes things go wrong, but you have to keep going for it because that’s all you can do.”

Gavin Plumb received three consecutive life sentences after his plot was uncovered. He had planned to break into her home and perpetrate heinous acts against her and her husband Dan.

During the interview—in which she was reported to have shed tears—Holly was asked if she felt she’s lived through survival. She replied: “Nothing can prepare you for something like that.

“When something like that happens, you have a decision to make. You either decide, right, I can take this on board and it can absolutely affect all aspects of my life. Or I can make a choice to go, let’s focus on everything that’s positive and good, all those important things.”

Holly also reflected on the abundance of love in her life, mentioning her husband Dan, children Harry, 15, Chester, 10, Belle, 13, and her friends. She expressed that she chose to let the court do its work so she could move on.

When discussing her departure from This Morning after 14 years without lining up new work, Holly said it was an easy decision for her. “That question is wrapped up in so many things that were going on at that time. But no. That was the last thing on my mind. The choice [to step away] was really simple and easy, actually.”