Richard Madeley hopes to see 'brave' Holly Willoughby return to TV

Richard Madeley threw his weight behind fellow television presenter Holly Willoughby after she announced her departure from This Morning after 14 years.

Speaking on GMB News, the television personality lauded Willoughby for her 'brave' move to step down from the show, which he hosted with his wife Judy Finnigan till 2001.

In a statement posted on her Instagram, Willoughby had announced that she would not longer return to This Morning, a shocking revelation which came a week after she was subjected to a kidnap and murder plot.

"Holly has done a very brave, wise and courageous thing," he began.

"We know Holly puts her family first and so she should do. She puts her family first, and her career second. That really is the order."

"Given the year that she has had and that she has done it for 14 years, a year longer than Judy and I, I think she has done exactly the right thing for herself.

"I think it's give her a chance to step back and take stock. And she's put her family first. She's going to focus on them for a while.

"I think she's done exactly the right thing. For her own mental health, as much as anything else."

He went on to hope that Willoughby would return to television screen. 

"She will come back to something eventually. Not This Morning, but she will be back on screen.

"The programme is owned by the viewers and not by you as the presenter, and that is true.

"When we left This Morning [himself and Judy] people were saying, 'that will be the end of This Morning' and it wasn't.

"It belongs to the viewers. It's about the content and the format. It will carry on. It's only telly, it's not a calling."