Christmas blessings! Holly Willoughby returns to This Morning after shocking exit

Christmas Vibes in the air.

Holly Willoughby surprised This Morning fans on Wednesday as she made a return to the show for a celebrity interview, though it was in a pre-recorded segment.

In October, Willoughby stepped down as the host of the daytime flagship show following an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her, leading to the arrest of a man from Harlow, Essex.

She made her comeback on ITV1 with a festive compilation of clips from the past 12 months, including a segment with Willoughby originally aired in July.

Seated alongside co-host Craig Doyle on the iconic sofa, Willoughby interviewed Hollywood star Idina Menzel about her role as Elsa in the animated Disney classic Frozen.

This interview occurred just two months after This Morning veteran Phillip Schofield, Willoughby's long-term co-host, also stepped down amid ongoing speculation about his private life.

Viewers tuning in late were taken aback to see Willoughby in a vibrant floral dress instead of one of the current female hosts, sparking a flurry of tweets on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Taking to the social media platform, one wrote: 'Viewers just switching on will think Holly's back.'

While a second added: 'Calm [down], guys, it's a compilation clip. Holly hasn't actually returned on This Morning.'

Elsewhere a third predicted: 'I think Holly will make a return eventually.'

The presenter is yet to confirm whether or not she will return to ITV, with Dancing On Ice - another Willoughby-fronted show - scheduled to return in January.