Holly Willoughby has faced some backlash following reports that she’s being lined up to host This Morning solo, with a new pay packet that’s an increase on her current alleged £700,000 annual salary.
Recent reports claimed that ITV bosses could be ready to offer Holly a bumper new deal. This comes just a matter of weeks after rumours that Holly could quit the show. They followed the departure of long-standing co-host Phillip Schofield after controversy regarding his personal life.
Social media backlash after news reports
But the news hasn’t been entirely well-received, with some social media users blasting the reported news. The pay increase was described as “disgusting” by one critic, particularly with the United Kingdom remaining in a cost-of-living crisis.
I mean, save This Morning? People are over her.
One Twitter user said: “Give her salary to charity, scrap the programme and start again with fresh new presenters.” Another, responding to a news story, suggested that she could ‘save’ This Morning, said: “I mean, save This Morning? People are over her.”
Someone else said that Holly would be “laughing all the way to the bank”, while another criticised the reported pay increase at a time when “so many people struggle to pay their way and work full time on minimum wage”.
Holly deserves This Morning pay rise, says PR expert
However, PR expert Mark Borkowski defended the move to OK!. He argued that it’s only fair she’s rewarded if she helps to steady the ship.
He said that while it’s understandable that people might not take the news well in a perilous economic climate: “What’s Holly expected to do? Like footballers, TV personalities often have a very, very short shelf life.
“She’s also got a team of people working for her, from lawyers to managers, stylists to publicists to social media managers. She’s got to pay all those people to stay at the top.”
And, if she’s hosting the show on her own, there’s even more pressure on her shoulders: “To make this work, she’s got to deliver on screen and be very careful in terms of what she does publicly, what interviews she does and what she delivers on her own personal social media. It’s about the long-term strategy now.”
The news comes while Holly is away from This Morning – like she does each year, she’s enjoying a summer break. It was thought that she could be heading off to explore new opportunities. A role hosting Strictly Come Dancing was being mooted a few weeks ago, for example. However, it looks as if she may well be on This Morning to stay.
ED! has contacted reps for ITV and Holly for comment.
Read more: Holly Willoughby sends defiant message from Portugal holiday amid fears she’s left This Morning
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