Holly Willoughby has got into the Christmas spirit for her return to the public eye (Picture: Save the Children/PA)
Holly Willoughby has returned to the spotlight after her shock departure from This Morning, alongside a slew of celebrities donning second-hand festive wear for Save the Children’s annual fundraising campaign Christmas Jumper Day.
Former Love Island host Laura Whitmore, radio presenter Lauren Laverne, Bridgerton star India Amarteifio, Love Island’s Tasha Ghouri and comedian London Hughes have all chosen to sport sustainable knitwear this year as they star alongside her.
Other famous faces involved with the campaign include Loose Women panellist Sophie Morgan, dancer and ex-Strictly Come Dancing judge Dame Arlene Phillips and chef Andi Oliver and her daughter Miquita.
Alongside these celebrities is The One Show presenter Alex Jones, podcast hosts Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo, Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway, comedian and influencer Fats Timbo, Big Brother host Will Best, and presenter and activist Katie Piper.
Popular ITV star Holly, who also hosts Dancing On Ice, stepped down from the flagship morning show in October after 14 years, citing her family as the reason.
Her departure came amid a challenging week for the presenter personally and following the exit of her long-time host Phillip Schofield after admitting to lying about having an affair with a runner.
In October, she quit her role on This Morning after 14 years (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Despite a tough few months personally, Holly was all smiles for Save the Children (Picture: Save the Children/PA)
In a statement posted on Instagram, the 42-year-old mum-of-three announced that she wouldn’t be returning, adding: ‘To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so much. This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we’ve done together. Thank you to everyone at ITV for being supportive. To every guest who has sat on our sofa, thank you.
‘Most of all, thank you to the wonderful viewers. You’ve been so loyal, so supportive and the best company every day.’
‘Sadly, however, I now I feel I have to make this decision for me and my family,’ Holly wrote, before telling viewers that she would ‘miss [them] all so much’.
Talking about her new charity campaign, Holly has now urged people to take part and said: ‘Christmas Jumper Day is a really fabulous way of raising lots of money for Save the Children and it’s so easy to get involved!
Her co-host and longstanding friend Phillip Schofield had sensationally left the morning TV show earlier this year as well (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Rex/Shutterstock)
‘You don’t even need a new jumper to take part, you can dig out an old knit that you’ve had for years or go to a charity shop and find a cool vintage one.’
Speculation surrounding who could replace her on the This Morning sofa has recently taken an interesting turn, with Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham a new favourite with the bookies, alongside the likes of current This Morning and Bake Off star Alison Hammond and Storm Huntley.
It’s also been said that Holly is unsure over her next major career move, with her return to the ice currently set for January amid reports that the BBC are keen to poach her for their Gladiators reboot.
Christmas Jumper Day will take place on Thursday, December 7, and anyone can take part by wearing a festive sweater and donating £2 (or £1 for children) to Save the Children.
Holly was joined by the likes of Love Island host Laura Whitmore for the campaign (Picture: Save the Children/PA)
Sophie Habboo and Jamie Laing didn’t want to be separated by their Christmas jumper (Picture: Save the Children/PA)
This year the charity is urging the public to celebrate Christmas Jumper Day as sustainably as possible, by re-using, recycling and shopping more consciously.
Whitmore said that there is a story in every piece of knitwear she owns.
‘Although it’s nice to follow trends, I think it’s really important to have those staple pieces that will last a lifetime – mine is definitely my go-to leather jacket.’
‘I also get quite nostalgic with clothes: I remember what I wore on my first date with my husband or what I wore when I auditioned for MTV – and my Christmas jumper always reminds me of all the festive fun I’ve had with friends and family over the years,’ she added.
Offering advice on finding second hand clothes, reality star Ghouri revealed: ‘I’m all for sustainable fashion and I love finding unique pieces that have a story behind them.
‘I was recently wearing a beautiful vintage dress and a lady came up to me and said it used to be hers in the 90s. I loved that.’
Tasha Ghouri is known for being a big fan of sustainable fashion (Picture: Save the Children/PA)
London Hughes is backing the campaign too (Picture: Save the Children/PA)
Charity Save the Children supports children in the UK and around the world by giving them access to resources that include medicine, food and education.
All money raised during Christmas Jumper Day will go towards helping disadvantaged children.
Famous faces supporting the campaign this year have modelled second-hand knitwear which will be distributed to Save the Children charity shops across the country to buy.
Since its launch in 2012, Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day has raised over £35 million to help transform the lives of children across the globe.
To find out more and sign-up, visit http://www.christmasjumperday.org.
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She’s donned her Christmas best.
