Willoughby, 43, stepped down as host of This Morning in October last year, a role she had held for 14 years, saying she was having to make the decision for herself and her family.
It came amid allegations of a plot to kidnap, rape and murder her. Security guard Gavin Plumb was later jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years.
Willoughby’s exit from This Morning came just months after Phillip Schofield’s departure from the show and ITV.
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Schofield’s ITV exit followed an alleged off-air rift with Willoughby, while it was also revealed he’d had an affair with a younger male colleague.
After trialling various presenters on the show following Willoughby and Schofield’s departures, ITV finally settled on a permanent duo to host This Morning earlier this year.
Deeley, 47, along with former Good Morning Britain (GMB) presenter Ben Shephard took over as hosts of This Morning in March 2024, alongside Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary.
Cat Deeley reveals Holly Willoughby’s “classy” act after taking over This Morning role
Deeley has now revealed Willoughby performed a “really classy” act not long after she took over as co-host of This Morning to show her support.
“Holly sent me a beautiful bunch of flowers and a handwritten card,” Deeley recounted.
“It was a really classy move, it really touched me.
“At some stage, once the dust settles, I’m sure we will get together.
“People always talk about women being pitted against other women, but actually it’s just not true.”
Cat Deeley reveals if This Morning role gets too much she’ll “quit”
Deeley, speaking to The Sunday Times, also spoke about the increased scrutiny from the press and public since joining the ITV show.
Deeley agreed the response has “shocked her” and added: “Everyone keeps checking in with me, ‘Are you OK? Are you handling this all right?’”
“I don’t care. I do not care. If it gets too much for me I’m going to quit. I don’t need to do it. I could stop and be a mum for most of the year, and then go and do the shows in America.
“There is no ulterior motive for me doing this.”
Deeley, who has two children with Northern Irish comedian and The Late Late Show presenter Patrick Kielty, has hosted US talent show So You Think You Can Dance for most of its 18 seasons.
She says she did not have the same reception in the US and called increased focus on her a “very British thing”.
Deeley added it is “clickbait” and “really nothing more than that”, while also suggesting the social media complaints are from “some nameless, faceless person at the end of a keyboard?”
She said: “It doesn’t even touch the sides.”
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What is Holly Willoughby doing now?
Willoughby will soon appear as the host of a new Netflix show in which adventurer Bear Grylls hunts down celebrities in the jungle.
She is also set to host ITV gameshow You Bet! with Stephen Mulhern.
Willoughby returned to TV for the first time since her This Morning exit back in January as co-host of Dancing on Ice.
She co-hosted the show with Mulhern who replaced Schofield after his ITV departure last year.
