Susanna Reid praises Holly Willoughby for quitting This Morning to put family first

What did you miss?

Susanna Reid has praised Holly Willoughby for quitting This Morning to put her family first.

Mother-of-three Willoughby, 42, has announced she is stepping down as host of the ITV morning show after 14 years, following an alleged kidnap plot against her.

Reid took the time as she opened breakfast show Good Morning Britain to send her best wishes to her fellow ITV presenter.

What, how and why?

Willoughby released a statement on social media on the evening of Tuesday 10 October announcing her decision to resign from This Morning.

Reid said on GMB on Wednesday morning: "I just want to open the show by sending, I’m sure, all of our best wishes to Holly Willoughby, who has made what is clearly the difficult decision to step down from This Morning on ITV daytime after 14 years at the programme.’

"She’s clearly made the right decision for her and her family, as she says, a very difficult goodbye, but family first.

"Our very best wishes to Holly, a beloved colleague. I’ll miss seeing her walking past as she goes to work."

Co-host Ed Balls added: "She’s had such a tough year, but you feel confident that she’ll be back on television soon, we don’t know when but she’s a total star, so it’ll be a big loss."

Watch: Holly Willoughby announces resignation from This Morning

Willoughby said in a statement on Instagram: "I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning.

"To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so so much.

"This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we’ve done together.

"Thank you to everyone at ITV for being supportive. To every guest who has sat on our sofa, thank you.

"Most of all, thank you to the wonderful viewers. You’ve been so loyal, so supportive and the very best company every day.

"Richard and Judy said ‘we only look after this show, it will always belong to the viewers’. It’s been an honour to just be part of its story and I know this story has many chapters left to go.

"Sadly, however, I now feel I have to make this decision for me and my family.

"I will miss you all so much. Holly"

The Dancing On Ice presenter is mother to son Harry, 14, daughter Belle, 12, and eight-year-old son Chester with her husband Dan Baldwin.

She married the TV production company boss in 2007 after meeting when she presented Ministry Of Mayhem in 2004 and Baldwin worked as a producer on the kids TV show.

Willoughby has faced several difficulties in the past day, inlcuding Queue-gate – when she was accused of jumping the queue to see the late Queen Elizabeth lying in state – and Phillip Schofield's resignation from This Morning, following his confession he had had an affair with a much younger runner on the show.

What else did ITV presenters have to say about Holly Willoughby's departure?

Richard Madeley made a special appearance on his week off from GMB to discuss Willoughby's departure.

Madeley and wife Judy Finnegan launched This Morning on ITV in 1988 and Willoughby paid tribute to them in her statement announcing her departure.

"Holly has done a very brave, wise and courageous thing," Madeley said.

"We know Holly puts her family first and so she should do. She puts her family first, and her career second. That really is the order."

He went on: "Given the year that she has had and that she has done it for 14 years, a year longer than Judy and I, I think she has done exactly the right thing for herself.

"I think it's give her a chance to step back and take stock. And she's put her family first. She's going to focus on them for a while.

"I think she's done exactly the right thing. For her own mental health, as much as anything else.

"She will come back to something eventually. Not This Morning, but she will be back on screen.

"When we left This Morning people were saying, 'That will be the end of This Morning' and it wasn't.

"It belongs to the viewers. It's about the content and the format. It will carry on. It's only telly, it's not a calling."

Lorraine Kelly said: "Of course we will still see her. There will be lots more projects. But it's just such a shame. Because she loved the show. She really did."

Rochelle Humes and Craig Doyle opened This Morning by paying tribute to Willoughby's time on the show.

Humes said: "Of course we want to start by sending our love and best wishes to Holly...

"Holly said she's incredibly proud of what she's achieved on the show and so are we. She will forever be one of us."

Doyle added: "But as Holly know only too well the show must go on."

Vanessa Feltz said she considered Willoughby a friend after working with her for 14 years.

She said: "People wonder what is she really like. Can anyone who looks like a Disney Princess really be that sweet? She is through and through a golden-hearted, sweet, funny, extremely bright, fabulous person.

"We're really going to miss her. She's just a ray of sunshine and she's a wonderful person."

Good Morning Britain airs on ITV from 6am to 9am from Monday to Friday.

Read more: Holly Willoughby

• Holly Willoughby quits This Morning after 14 years 'for me and my family' (BBC News, 5 min read)

• From Queuegate to Philip Schofield: A timeline of Holly Willoughby’s tumultuous This Morning career (Independent, 7 min read)

• ITV stars rally round Holly Willoughby as she faces cruel trolling after 'shocking kidnap plot' (Yahoo, 3 min read)