Holly Willoughby: How to watch Midsomer Murders cameo, release date, first look and what has she said?

Midsomer Murders will be returning to ITV this weekend with a special cameo from one of daytime TV’s most popular presenters.

The beloved murder mystery series which has been entertaining audiences for over two decades will feature This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby in the latest episode, The Witches of Angel’s Rise. Willoughby’s role has been a long time coming, after the presenter was first revealed to be cast in the ITV drama in 2021.

Willoughby has been noticeably missing from This Morning following the Phillip Schofield scandal and has recently taken six weeks off from presenting for the summer. She is set to discuss and share behind the scenes snippets about her Midsomer Murders role in an interview on This Morning today (25 August).

So, who is Holly Willoughby in Midsomer Murders and how can you watch? Here’s everything you need to know.

Who is Holly Willoughby in Midsomer Murders?

Willoughby will be playing a cameo role in the upcoming episode. A sneak peak of her performance was revealed on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday (23 August). Hosts Kate Garraway and Richard Madeley were joined by Neil Dudgeon, who plays DCI John Barnaby in Midsomer Murders.

The clip shows Willoughby’s brief appearance in the upcoming episode. Her chaarcter is being interviewed for what seems like a podcast. DCI John Barnaby and DS Jamie Winter, who is played by Nick Hendrix spy Willoughby on the stage, with Winter asking: “Is that the queen of daytime?”, to which Barnaby replies: “Gloria Hunniford? Are you sure?”

Dudgeon revealed that Willoughby was a “friend of the show”, explaining: “She’s a great fan of the show and we’re always looking to broaden our casting net.”

He added: “She was great, she was thoroughly professional. I think she was a bit nervous when she first arrived. She’s playing a character called Holly Willoughby, I wouldn’t like to say that it’s herself.”

What has she said about Midsomer Murders role?

Willoughby is set to discuss her upcoming appearance on Midsomer Murders in an interview on This Morning where she will share some behind the scenes clips. This will be the first time she has stepped into the studio following her six week summer break.

Willoughby’s character has been a long time coming, it was first announced she had landed the role in 2021. Reported by Hello in March 2021, Dudgeon said: “We have all had a big talk about who we want to appear on Midsomer and we have decided that we want Holly Willoughby to appear in an episode of Midsomer Murders very soon.”

It’s not Willoughby’s first crack at murder mysteries, she has previously starred in the crime series Miss Marple.

When can I watch Midsomer Murders?

You can watch Holly Willoughby in Midsomer Murders on ITV this Sunday (27 August) at 8pm.

Will Holly Willoughby be returning to This Morning?

Willoughby has been noticeably missing from This Morning in the wake of the Philip Schofield scandal. She has taken six weeks off for the summer holidays, with images of her holidaying in Portugal doing the rounds. Willoughby is expected to officially return to her role as This Morning presenter on 4 September, however it’s not confirmed who will be joining her.

During her summer break there has been a steady stream of presenters hosting This Morning with Alison Hammond, Dermot O’Leary, Craig Doyle and Josie Gibson filling in the gap. It’s expected they will continue to host This Morning alongside Willoughby, with the Daily Mail reporting in July that when Willoughby returns she will be the main host of the show, with a rotated co-host instead of the previous set-up which saw her and Schofield work as a pair.

An ITV source told the Daily Mail: “The idea of finding the next Phil to sit next to Holly has been disregarded by This Morning’s bosses. It will be Holly along with whichever rotating presenter is selected to join her. It will essentially be Holly’s show.”