Holly Willoughby's new YouTube lifestyle show, "Together," has reportedly sparked a conflict with her former employer, ITV, with accusations that the network has "poached" guests who had already committed to appearing on her series. Sources suggest ITV bosses were "green with envy" upon learning that Willoughby's show would feature segments on food, fashion, life, and beauty, similar to her previous role on "This Morning."
Two guests who had filmed for "Together" were subsequently featured on ITV's "This Morning" before Willoughby's pre-recorded episodes were released on YouTube. Ellen Roome, whose son Jools Sweeney died after an alleged online challenge, appeared on "This Morning" with hosts Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond five days before her scheduled appearance on Willoughby's YouTube channel. Similarly, food bloggers Original Flava cooked on "This Morning" the day before their segment with Willoughby was set to air.
A source close to the bookings described the situation as potentially "sabotage," stating that "This Morning" had never featured Ellen Roome before, despite her long-standing advocacy. The source believes ITV booked guests after seeing the press release for "Together" in an effort to get them on their show first.
Willoughby departed "This Morning" in October 2023, five months after her co-host Phillip Schofield's exit. She had previously expressed fear for her safety after a plot to kidnap, rape, and murder her was foiled by police. While she returned to ITV for "Dancing On Ice" in 2024, she reportedly turned down a role hosting a reboot of the game show "You Bet!."
"This Morning" is now primarily hosted by Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard. Viewing figures for the show have reportedly declined significantly, struggling to attract 500,000 viewers per episode, compared to its peak of 3 million when Willoughby and Schofield hosted. O'Leary and Alison Hammond present the show on Fridays.
Meanwhile, Willoughby's YouTube channel has seen engagement for "Together." The first episode, featuring actor Stanley Tucci, garnered 59,000 views within four days. Including an initial teaser, the channel has accumulated 141,000 views. A friend of Willoughby's stated she is "very, very happy" with the numbers, noting that the first episode's viewership surpassed those of recent videos by Ant and Dec and Davina McCall's YouTube shows.
