Holly Willoughby left red-faced as she’s brutally shut down by The Games star after ‘unfair’ complaint

HOLLY Willoughby was left red-faced after she was brutally shut down by athletics legend Denise Lewis – just minutes into the first episode of The Games.

Monday night’s instalment saw 12 super fit celebs pitted against each other in various sporting challenges – and the This Morning presenter was soon left blushing.

The ITV show didn’t get off to the best of starts for Holly as she faced disagreement from her own presenting team after she previewed the female hurdles race.

Holly thought it was “unfair” that hurdles aren’t made smaller for shorter athletes competing in hurdle races, so she asked why athletics authorities don’t change their format.

Unfortunately for Holly, former athletics champion Denise didn’t agree with her co-star.

Denise is a former track and field athlete who specialised in the heptathlon, which involves the 100m hurdles.

The iconic athlete bagged gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, won two World Championships and became the 1998 European Champion.

Holly admitted she wasn’t best qualified to comment, but it didn’t stop her from airing her views to Denise and her co-host Freddie Flintoff.

She said: “It’s fair to say I’m not a sporting expert in any way, shape or form, but I was watching them do the hurdles earlier and it’s slightly unfair. If you are taller, right?”

She went on: “Is it fair? Do you think people that are shorter should have shorter hurdles? Because they do it in horse racing with weights. They do it in boxing, they have different things…”

Denise replied: “Um, no. I don’t think they should, actually, Holly.

“It’s a good question, but no. I think you have to keep it fair.”

Holly then cried out: “But it is unfair,” at which point Freddie looked nervously at the camera.

It was Chelcee Grimes who won the first event of the series – but she faced stiff competition from Mel B‘s daughter Phoenix Brown.

Among the 12 celebs competing are Love Island star Olivia Attwood, TV star Christine McGuinness, Corrie regular Ryan Thomas, and Strictly pro Kevin Clifton.

The episode also starred world heavyweight champ Tyson Fury after his recent title defence against Dillian Whyte at the London Stadium.