Holly Willoughby injures her back while filming This Morning

Holly Willoughby was forced to switch from heels to sandals on This Morning today as she injured her back while uncrossing her legs during a segment.

The TV presenter announced that she had changed her shoes to eagle-eyed viewers during the Spin-To Win segment, joking that it was a side effect of turning 40 earlier this year.

“You might have noticed I’m on this side today, that’s because during the show I uncrossed my leg and have pulled my back, because now I’m over 40 that’s the stuff that happens," Willoughby said.

“So I’ve got the flip flops on, I can’t wear my heels.”

The usually upbeat segment, which sees the TV duo dancing along to the theme tune, was cautiously approached by the injured presenter as co-host Phillip Schofield teased her about her injury.

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With Phillip usually spinning the wheel and Holly in charge of the tombola balls, the roles were reversed on today's show as Schofield had to wheel on the tombola.

He joked: “You can’t actually walk out to get the tombola, not at speed anyway."

The pair were talking to Top Gear presenter Paddy McGuinness via video link in the previous segment from the outside set.

After the break, Schofield joked with viewers that Willoughby nearly didn’t make it back into the studio: “It took a long time to get her back in from outside, let me tell you.”

Willoughby added: “They nearly had to wheel me out! If it hadn’t been for social distancing I would have been on your back.”

The much-loved duo have been hosting the show together since 2009 and frequently make fun of each other.

Willoughby celebrated her 40th birthday on the show, wearing the same dress her mother wore to her own 40th birthday party.

Sharing photos of them both in the same outfit, she wrote: “This photo of my mum was taken on her 40th birthday at the party she had in the garden.

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“I remember this day so clearly. It’s a strange thing to reach the age you remember your mum being!“

I asked her if she’d kept the dress and of course she had … Strange moment zipping it up this morning, wondering how she felt on her big day …“I can’t be with my mum or dad today but wearing this in her honour makes me feel closer to them … love you mumma!”