Holly Willoughby absent from This Morning as presenter takes two-week break

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Fans of the ITV chat show This Morning were surprised to see regular presenter Holly Willoughby absent from today’s (17 January) instalment.

The presenter, who normally hosts alongside Phillip Schofield, is taking a two-week sabbatical from the series in order to film a new project for the BBC.

Schofield was instead joined by former Saturdays Rochelle Humes. Willoughby’s absence, however, was not addressed until partway through the show.

The pair opened the show by interviewing a skateboarder who had gone viral on the internet.

After concluding the segment, Schofield addressed viewers, telling them: “Rochelle is here, as you can see, keeping Holly’s seat warm.”

He added: “She’s off with the Ice Man, making a show at the moment.”

Willoughby is currently working on the forthcoming BBC series Wim Hof’s Superstar Survival.

The series will see a number of celebrities tackle survival challenges in harsh conditions, and is hosted by Willoughby and comedian Lee Mack.

Willoughby will, however, continue to feature on Dancing On Ice, flying back for the weekend shows to host alongside Schofield.

This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV.