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HOLLY Willoughby was left speechless after a debate about motherhood got heated on This Morning.

The 35-year-old tried to intervene as a discussion about whether mums make better bosses escalated out of control.

 A debate about motherhood quickly escalated on today's This Morning
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A debate about motherhood quickly escalated on today's This MorningCredit: ITV

As journalists Alley Einstein and Holly Brockwell - who recently won a court battle to be sterilised on the NHS after a four year battle - became increasingly aggressive to one another, the mum-of-three tried to step in to diffuse the situation.

She said: "What upsets me about all this is that it's a woman versus woman using motherhood to batter each other.

"It's awful. It makes me sad."

In fact, Holly stayed quiet for the rest of the segment, letting co-host Philip Schofield take over.

 Holly was stunned in to silence
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Holly was stunned in to silenceCredit: ITV

Alley caused outrage when she declared that having children made her a better person, and hinted people without children were less able to deal with the demands of senior management.

She said: "For me when I was in my thirties I didn't have children and I was selfish.

 Alley Einstein has controversial views about women in the workplace
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Alley Einstein has controversial views about women in the workplaceCredit: ITV
 Holly was taken aback by the vicious arguing between the show's journalist guests
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Holly was taken aback by the vicious arguing between the show's journalist guestsCredit: ITV

"If I can be chairman of the chopping board, chairman of the ironing board and chairman of the schedule board, I can be chairman of the company.

"I think those skills translate so well in to the workforce that if we were to pay all the mothers in this country for all the jobs that they do then we would be bankrupt.

"These skills are essential in the workplace I've run companies and I would prefer to employ women who have children as they can multi-task and they can settle arguments.

"And if you can settle an argument between toddlers you can settle an argument in the House of Commons."

 The two women wouldn't accept the other's ideas
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The two women wouldn't accept the other's ideasCredit: ITV

Holly, 30, was livid, hitting back: ""It's completely ridiculous to say you'd want to hire mothers.

"The skills you need for raising children are not at all what you'd need for running a company.

"In what ways does changing nappies relate to running a boardroom?"

 Holly Brockwell, right, was recently sterilised on the NHS
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Holly Brockwell, right, was recently sterilised on the NHSCredit: ITV

She retorted: "If you can change nappies you can change the world."

Alley later declared that women with children "are more passionate and driven" as having a child means they have a stake in the future of society.

Her comments was widely slammed on Twitter, with one viewer raging: "Offensive to those who cannot conceive & businesswomen who choose not to have kids.We don't have this discussion around dads #MumBossDebate."

Another said: "Who's this crank on @itvthismorning #MumBossDebate if ya can change a nappy ya can change the world, nut job."

The debate was pegged on the race for Tory leadership between Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom, who sparked controversy over the weekend when she implied that being a mum would make her a better Prime Minister.

This morning it was revealed that she had pulled out of the running.

 


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