Holly Willoughby opens up on Fearne Cotton’s Celebrity Juice exit: ‘I wasn’t ready to say goodbye’

Cotton confirmed her departure from the show last year
Trio: Willoughby had to say goodbye to Cotton
ITV
Safeeyah Kazi20 March 2019

Holly Willoughby has opened up on her return to Celebrity Juice ahead of the new series, after her fellow team caption and long-term friend Fearne Cotton announced her departure from the show.

The This Morning presenter, who has appeared on the outrageous panel show for more than a decade alongside Cotton, told of how she struggled to say goodbye to her friend.

Recalling how Cotton confirmed the news in a phone call, Willoughby said that the decision was an unexpected turn of events as the pair started on the show “a million years ago”.

She said: “You think it’s going to go on forever and always be there. I knew something was up because she called me and she never calls me!

Moving on: Cotton has said goodbye to the show
ITV

“She texts me a gazillion times, she’s fast at texting. When my phone rang and it was her I was like, ‘What's happened?’, I knew she was going to tell me something big.”

Whilst Willoughby was left feeling “sad” at the news, the TV star said she “respects” Cotton’s decision to move on

She said: “I'm going to miss her. You never want anything to end, it's been brilliant and such fun and I love the fact that I’ve had my friend there with me every series.

Respected: Willoughby wished her friend the best for the future
Dave Benett

“I hope that she comes back for one off specials every now and again, that she’ll come back and play with us some time because it would be lovely."

Whilst Cotton was prepared to call time on the show, Willoughby told how she wasn’t quite “ready” to let go of the panel show.

She explained: “To be honest we [Keith Lemon] were both still really enjoying doing the show and we weren't ready to say goodbye to it. He felt the same as me and just wasn't ready to let go of it yet.”

The first panel of the new series will host Take That’s Howard Donald, I’m A Celebrity stars John Barrowman and Emily Atack and TV presenter Mark Wright.

Celebrity Juice airs Thursday at 10pm on ITV2

Holly Willoughby - In pictures

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