Holly Willoughby messaged Piers Morgan in panic after falling for sick death hoax

Piers Morgan has said TV pal Holly Willoughby got in touch with him in a panic after being asked to film an obituary for the Good Morning Britain star.

Morgan shared on Twitter last month that several concerned friends got in touch after falling for a sick hoax that claimed he had died.

He has now revealed one such friend was This Morning star Willoughby, who contacted the 55-year-old after receiving the morbid request.

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Writing in his MailOnline column: "Fortunately, my friends’ concern for my health marginally outweighed their natural craving to be on camera, or at least it did for the ones I know about.

"‘Are you OK?’ asked a panicky Holly. ‘I’ve been asked to record an obit message about you?’

"‘It’s a fake,’ I chuckled. ‘Out of interest, what would you have said in your tribute?’

"‘I’d have said you were a wonderfully beloved part of the ITV daytime family who will be sorely missed,’ Holly replied, ‘and that I’m available to take over presenting Life Stories.’"

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An angry Morgan initially tweeted to his 7.6 million followers about the hoax last month.

He said: "To the pranksters currently contacting all my famous friends asking them to tape a contribution to my obituary for ITN... maybe stop being annoying little d***heads?"

Morgan and Willoughby have been ITV colleagues for some years now, though Morgan hinted back in January that there is a friendly rivalry between the pair.

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The Life Stories star told how he had decided not to attend the National Television Awards, as he was “sick of Holly and Phil winning every year”.

Addressing his decision live on GMB, he said: “I’m not going this year. I’m sick of Holly and Phil winning every year. And Ant and Dec will win Best Presenter.

“Holly always goes, ‘Oh! Me again?!’ Then she leans in and goes, ‘Take that you little....’

“Don’t be fooled by Holly Willoughby.”