This Morning’s Holly Willoughby explains that ‘wetting herself’ episode
As Holly and Phil return to This Morning, they chat to TV Magazine about what really goes on behind the scenes and reveal why they're 'staring in the teeth of danger'
If your memorable animal encounters this year are anything to go by, we can’t wait to see what’s in store when you return!
Holly: Oh my God! I’ve discovered I’m not a natural when it comes to animals. I don’t like anything bigger than a small dog. Or anything with wings that’s not a butterfly. Monet the ‘guide horse’ pooed on cue, and he enjoyed every single second of it, which makes it even worse for me.
Phillip: That was one of my happiest moments! A guide pony... My scepticism started in the meeting before the show, then I asked the woman if it could be house-trained and she said yes, and it s**t on the floor. In fact, on our lovely rug! So that’s in the skip. Moments like that on live telly are fabulous. Then Russell, the bird we were told didn’t fly, took off. I did know about Holly’s relationship with animals but nothing proved it more than when we went to Royal Ascot. We were asked to present a prize to ‘the best turned out horse’ and one of the horses in the arena was a bit feisty. Holly grabbed me and put me between her and the horse, like a human shield. She was prepared to sacrifice me for her own wellbeing!
Holly: I didn’t know I felt like that until it happened, but at least we both know now! [Laughs.] I’ve been told that when we move to our new studios next year, we are going to be having an elephant
in. So if that elephant does a Monet...
Phillip: I’m allergic to bee stings, wasp stings and mosquito bites. So what have we got on the roof? This Morning bee hives.
Holly: He’s been up there clutching his EpiPen.
Phillip: We stare into the teeth of danger.
What’s been your most embarrassing moment this year? We read the stories that you ‘almost wet yourself’, Holly, when laughing so hard about people sending texts to the wrong person…
Holly: That did not happen! I didn’t actually wet myself. I crouched to make sure that didn’t happen. This is not just because I’ve had three kids! [Laughs.] Can I point that out? It’s a natural response since I was a child. It’s really embarrassing when it happens on telly, though.
How was it taking This Morning on the road for the first time with the live show in Birmingham back in April?
Holly: You feel like you know everybody and that it’s a collective thing between us and the viewer, but to actually see those people together was incredible. There was 25,000 people!
Phillip: I walked out on to the stage and thought: ‘Sod it, I’ll be the selfie man!’
Holly: Phil’s nickname was Bieber for the
two days we were up there because he took more selfies than Justin Bieber.
What is it you love most about hosting the show?
Phillip: People come in and trust us with their stories. You talk to them and they say: ‘Thank you, I knew you guys would do it properly.’
Holly: What’s great about This Morning is that sometimes you get bombarded with news, and
it can be frightening. What This Morning does best in that situation is go: ‘We’re just going to talk about this openly and people can call in.’ It becomes an open platform for people to say how they feel and: how do you talk to your kids about this? We’re the only show that does that.
What can you tell us about what’s coming up this autumn?
Holly: Scarlett Moffatt is going to be the face of our anti-bullying campaign, we’re going to be live in a hospital’s A&E ward and there will be another live wedding. We’re going to have an ice rink outside the studio at Christmas too. So elephants and ice rinks – what could go wrong?
Phillip: I’m going back to New Zealand to do a series of films like we did this year in South Africa. I spent four years in New Zealand and still have my citizenship. That’s my exit if it all goes hideously wrong over here.
This Morning Monday to Friday 10.30am ITV