Leigh Francis revealed he hasn’t seen Holly Willoughby since “all the telly drama”, despite reaching out to her following the scandal involving Phillip Schofield.
The Celebrity Juice host, 50, better known by his stage name Keith Lemon, said the last time he saw his former co-star was at his 50th birthday party in April. The bash at held at a private members’ club in London was attended by a number of his celebrity pals, including Holly, 42, and Phil as well as Fearne Cotton, Emma Bunton and Kimberley Walsh.
READ MORE: Holly Willoughby red-faced as she lets slip racy sex confession on This Morning
The costume party at Soho’s White City House took place three months before Phil, 61, resigned from This Morning. Just one week later, he admitted to having an affair with a young male colleague at ITV while he was still married to wife Stephanie Lowe.
(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for BGC)
Leigh, who has been friends and worked with Holly for more than 10 years, opened up about the last time he saw his pal during in an interview with MailOnline. “The last time I saw Holly was on my birthday.
“I haven’t seen her since all the telly drama,” he told the publication. “April was the last time I saw her in real life.” The comedian went on to declare that he “reached out to everyone” during the scandal, saying: “I just text people and go, ‘Are you ok?’ I reached out to everyone.”
(Image: Pixel8000)
Holly returned to This Morning earlier this month following her extended summer break. Sharing his thoughts on why Holly resumed her position on the ITV programme, Leigh joked: “They pay well, don’t they?”
The Leeds native added: “I’m guessing she still enjoys it, so I think you should leave a show when you don’t enjoy it anymore.” In August, it was reported that Holly was set for a massive pay deal to ensure she stays “at the heart” of the award-winning daytime show.
(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
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It was claimed her salary could be rising from £700,000 to £1million, with the dramatic bump reportedly due to the key role she’s played on the show since Phil’s dramatic exit. A source told The Sun: “Holly is at the heart of the show’s future and success and ITV execs want her to steer a steady ship out of a rocky year.”
They added: “Holly’s pay deal is up for negotiation in a few months so they are putting together a lucrative package that will reflect her added responsibility without Phil, and they are prepared to go up to £1million a year.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
