Holly Willoughby struggled to hold back tears during an emotional interview on her YouTube series, "Together," with Ellen Roome, the mother of 14-year-old Jools Sweeney, who died in April 2022. Roome believes social media played a role in her son's death, attributing it to an "online challenge gone wrong."
As Roome recounted her son's story, Willoughby became visibly distressed, repeatedly apologizing to her guest. The presenter eventually became overwhelmed when Roome shared that she still listens to recordings of her son's voice. Willoughby was seen wiping away tears and spoke of her own children, aged 17, 15, and 11, acknowledging their immersion in social media.
The episode also featured a letter from Lauren Cowell, wife of Simon Cowell, praising Roome's campaigning efforts. This interview marks a significant shift in tone for Willoughby's YouTube series, which has previously featured lighter conversations with celebrities like Stanley Tucci and Katherine Ryan.
Inquest Reopened
The interview follows Ellen Roome's successful fight to have the inquest into Jools' death reopened. An earlier inquiry in 2022 lasted only 23 minutes and heard no oral evidence. Roome's legal team successfully challenged the original conclusion, arguing that further lines of inquiry had not been pursued.
Return to Public Life
This emotional interview is part of Willoughby's gradual return to public life after stepping down from the television program "This Morning" in October 2023. Her departure followed a revealed plot to kidnap and murder her. Prior to that, "This Morning" faced controversy after longtime co-host Phillip Schofield admitted to lying about a relationship with a younger colleague.
Willoughby stated in a previous interview that she is not concerned about public reaction to her new show, asserting that her perspective has changed following her own experiences with fear. The first episode of "Together" garnered over 41,000 views on its release day, outperforming another program that launched the same day.