Holly Willoughby: why is she not on This Morning - and when will host be back?

Holly Willoughby is off from presenting This Morning for a “few days” due to having shingles.

The ITV talk show host has been away during the Easter holidays along with Phillip Schofield whom the programme said is returning this week. In an Instagram post, Willoughby: “Hi… Just to let you know I may be away for the rest of the week as I have shingles… I’ll be back as soon as I’m better. Huge love, Holly.”

The infection, which causes a painful rash, is caused by the same virus as chickenpox. According to Mayo Clinic, the varicella-zoster virus stays in your body and when it is re-activated, blotches appear on the skin and patients report feeling generally unwell and like they have a headache.

When Willoughby and Schofield, who also present ITV’s Dancing On Ice together, are not hosting their ITV talk show, then TV personality Alison Hammond and former The X Factor presenter Dermot O’Leary step in.

On Monday(17 April), This Morning said The Hit List presenter and former The Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes will be in the studio alongside Schofield to host.

The talk show wrote on social media: “Tomorrow at 10am on ITV1 and STV, it’s welcome back after the Easter holidays to Phillip and get better soon to Holly who’s off ill for a few days. Phillip and Rochelle have a packed show… and a very special live announcement from Alison Hammond around midday.”

What are shingles symptoms?

On its website, the NHS advises that the first signs of shingles can be:

• a tingling or painful feeling in an area of skin
• a headache or feeling generally unwell

A rash will appear a few days later. Usually you get the shingles rash on your chest and tummy, but it can appear anywhere on your body including on your face, eyes and genitals.

The rash appears as blotches on your skin, on 1 side of your body only. A rash on both the left and right of your body is unlikely to be shingles.