Amanda Holden has spoken out after it was claimed that there was a ‘rift’ between her and Holly Willoughby, stressing that the ‘language around women’ is often ‘laughable’.
On Monday this week, Willoughby, 42, returned to This Morning after taking an extended half-term break amid Phillip Schofield’s controversial exit from the ITV programme.
While delivering an emotional statement to viewers, she asked them if they were doing ok in the aftermath of the confession made by Schofield, 61, that he’d lied about having an affair with a younger runner on the show.
The message has been mocked by people including former minister Ann Widdecombe, with it also appearing that Holden, 52, had ridiculed the sentiment by posting a video on social media in which she was wearing a similar outfit and said to her followers: ‘Hello, it is Tuesday. Are you OK?’
A spokesperson for the Britain’s Got Talent judge later stressed to Metro.co.uk that she had ‘no issues with Holly’, and that the video had been ‘taken out of context’.
In a new post shared on Instagram, Holden has addressed the speculation of a ‘rift’ between her and Willoughby head on.
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She began by writing: ‘The story in The Sun today about Holly and I is completely made up, full of contradictions and just utter rubbish. Sadly this means every other paper will now write it too. So I have to put this up for a few hours to try and add perspective and truth.
‘Sadly strong and intelligent women have for far too long been pitted against one another when we should all be celebrated in our own right. What a surprise the article is written by a MAN.’
Holden stated that she had woken up to the story of an apparent ‘rift’ between her and the fellow TV presenter, alleging that it was ‘not checked’ for factual accuracy.
‘The “rift” story now circulating as a result of this article – which I have woken up to this morning and was not checked for factual correctness – simply does not exist. There have been some huge assumptions made this week and everyone has feasted on them,’ she wrote.
‘These type of articles need to stop. The language around women (in most pieces I read every day) is laughable. It’s so different to how men are written about. Women are still expected to say nothing, suffer silently and just get on with it. And we do… mostly.’
Holden concluded by writing: ‘These stories are there just to distract us from the actual news.. We are becoming a world which is gradually being eroded of all its best qualities – humour, backbone and truth.’
This week, Willoughby presented the first two days of This Morning with Josie Gibson, before being joined by Craig Doyle for the Wednesday and Thursday editions.
In her statement about Schofield’s departure, she said that she felt ‘shaken’ and ‘let down’, looking tearful as Gibson took her hand and gave her a hug on-air.
Metro.co.uk has contacted Holly Willoughby’s representative for comment.
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