Cat Deeley praises Holly Willoughby for 'classy' support after This Morning exit

Cat Deeley has expressed her gratitude towards Holly Willoughby for the support she received in taking over as a lead presenter on This Morning.

Willoughby, aged 43, made her exit from the popular ITV morning show last year, citing personal and family reasons for her departure.

Her decision came in the wake of chilling allegations that involved a plot to kidnap, rape, and murder her. Security guard Gavin Plumb was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 16 years.

Deeley, who had previously worked with Willoughby on the children's music chart show CD:UK, stepped into the role of co-host alongside Ben Shephard, formerly of Good Morning Britain, earlier this year.

Reflecting on the encouragement she received, 47 year old Deeley shared with the Sunday Times, "Holly sent me a beautiful bunch of flowers and a handwritten card."

She described the gesture as "It was a really classy move, it really touched me."

that deeply moved her, adding, "At some stage, once the dust settles, I'm sure we will get together."

Deeley also touched upon the narrative of rivalry among women, stating, "People always talk about women being pitted against other women, but actually it's just not true."

Since joining This Morning, Deeley has faced increased attention from the media and public, a reaction that she admits has "shocked her" Despite this, she maintains a nonchalant attitude, saying, "Everyone keeps checking in with me, 'Are you OK? Are you handling this all right? '".

Her stance is clear: "I don't care. I do not care. If it gets too much for me I'm going to quit. I don't need to do it. I could stop and be a mum for most of the year, and then go and do the shows in America."

Deeley concluded by affirming her genuine intentions, "There is no ulterior motive for me doing this."

Cat Deeley, mother of two and wife to Northern Irish comedian Patrick Kielty, has been a long-standing host on the US show So You Think You Can Dance, having presented most of its 18 seasons.

She expressed that the attention she received in the UK was not mirrored in the US, describing it as a "very British thing".

Deeley dismissed the heightened scrutiny as mere "clickbait" and nothing more substantial, while also hinting that online criticism often comes from "some nameless, faceless person at the end of a keyboard? ".

"It doesn't even touch the sides," she stated.

Holly Willoughby, formerly Phillip Schofield's co-host on This Morning before his departure from ITV following an "unwise, but not illegal" affair, is set to present a new Netflix series featuring Bear Grylls as he tracks down celebrities in the wild.

Additionally, Willoughby will be hosting the ITV gameshow You Bet!

alongside Stephen Mulhern.

Mulhern stepped in for Schofield to co-present Dancing On Ice on ITV with Willoughby.