Holly Willoughby made a statement in a Blur band T-shirt as she arrived at her hotel ahead of the National Television Awards. 

The presenter famously enjoyed boozy nights at the annual ceremony with her former best friend Phillip Schofield, often turning up to work the next morning hungover. 

After the fallout with her This Morning co-host – who admitted to an unwise but not illegal affair with a young runner on the show – she will attend solo for the first time after failing to make the shortlist for best presenter for the second year in a row.

She is said to be determined to lead ITV’s This Morning to defend its title of best daytime show and support co-host Alison Hammond, 48, who has been nominated for best presenter – despite Holly being booed at the event last year. 

In another blow, it emerged hours before that Phillip has unfollowed her  on Instagram – four months after resigning from their  ITV show.

Is it a really all a Blur? Beaming Holly Willougbhy donned a band T-shirt as she brushes off Phillip Schofield’s social media snub ahead of attending her first NTAs without him

Loving life: Holly brushed off any drama as she was spotted arriving at her hotel with a giant grin on her face

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Meanwhile: Phillip Schofield appeared glum as he left a West London pub after unfollowing his former best friend Holly on Instagram ahead of tonight’s National Television Awards

Naughty! Before their partnership came to an end, Holly and Phillip left viewers in hysterics in 2016 when they turned up to host This Morning after an NTAs all-nighter

Yet Holly brushed off any drama as she was spotted arriving at her hotel with a giant grin on her face. 

Casually clad for the outing she donned a Blur T-shirt paired with jeans and sandals, finishing off the look with wayfarer shades.  

The move comes as This Morning seeks to defend its best daytime show title at the National Television Awards ceremony at The O2 in South East London this evening.

Earlier this year, the show was thrown into turmoil when her long-running co-host and ‘BFF’ Schofield resigned after admitting to an ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a younger male colleague.

Holly, 42, and Phil, 61, had been among the regular nominees for best presenters until the long-running scandal, which has also seen staff on the show raise allegations of a ‘toxic’ environment and bullying, but Holly is not nominated this year.

Instead, Alison is said to have a good chance of winning the category to put an end to Ant and Dec’s 21-year winning streak.

In another blow, Phillip has unfollowed Holly on Instagram ahead of the ceremony but still follows her sister Kelly. At the time of writing Holly still follows Phillip on Instagram.

Phil and Holly had been longlisted for the best TV presenter prize, alongside fellow This Morning hosts Alison Hammond, Dermot O’Leary, Rylan Clark and Martin Lewis, but only Alison and Martin made the cut. 

The pair faced boos from the crown at last year’s NTAs following the scandal in which they appeared to skip the queue to see the Queen lying in state. 

The ITV morning programme, which has been on its own winning streak in the daytime category for the last number of years, will go up against The Chase, Loose Women and The Repair Shop as the annual award ceremony returns to The O2 in London on Tuesday evening. 

In her latest blog post for her lifestyle brand Wylde Moon, the TV host, 42, encouraged readers to vote for her co-host ahead of the The National Television Awards on Tuesday evening.

Low-key look: Casually clad for the outing she donned a Blur T-shirt paired with jeans and sandals, finishing off the look with wayfarer shades

Loving life: Holly happily posed for selfies with fans outside the hotel 

Taking pictures: The presenter made sure that she took pictures with the crowds outside 

Preparations underway: Rochelle Humes, 34, was also seen arriving half dolled-up as she was spotted with rollers in her hair

Chic: The television personality, 34, cut a casual display in blue denim jeans and white T-shirt as she arrived at her hotel where she is getting glammed up

On the move: Kate Garraway, 56, looked effortlessly chic in a pleated skirt and a white T-shirt with ruched sleeves

Beaming: The Good Morning Britain presenter seemed in great spirits as she smiled for the cameras

Prep: Love Island stars Whitney Adebayo and Lochan Nowacki, both 25, looked as happy as ever while they arrived to get ready ahead of London’s O2 Arena for the glitzy ceremony

Unlike Holly, Alison, 48, is shortlisted in the TV Presenter award category this year against rivals including Ant and Dec, while This Morning has been nominated again for best daytime show. 

This didn’t stop Holly rallying behind Alison though, writing: ‘Having been lucky enough to have this summer break to focus on the children, it’s now lovely to be back on the sofa and there was certainly joy in abundance with Alison Hammond today! 

‘This wonderful lady has been nominated in the ‘Best Presenter’ category at tomorrow night’s NTA’s and there is still time to vote for her. 

‘So, [if] you’ve ever been filled with joy by The Hammond…and let’s be honest, who hasn’t?!…then you know what to do, click here to vote!’

She added: ‘This week’s lunar phase is the Third Quarter Moon. It’s known as a good time to release negativity and any old habits that might be hindering you, which sounds very fitting for the new beginnings that come with the arrival of September. 

‘Let’s make every effort to shed anything that’s holding us back and move forwards with light, love and positivity.’ 

Dame Deborah James and Paul O’Grady have both been posthumously recognised in the NTA nominations, with Dame Deborah named in the authored documentary category, for Bowelbabe In Her Own Words.

Dame Deborah set up the Bowelbabe cancer research fund, and died last year at the age of 40 after suffering from bowel cancer.

Her documentary will compete against Rob Burrow: Living With MND, Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now and Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction.

Transformation: Emily Atack was among the first stars to begin her preparations for the National Television Awards ahead of the glitzy ceremony

Vote for us! Maya Jama also took to her Instagram Stories to urge her followers to vote for Love Island in the Reality Competition category

Exciting: Also getting ready ahead of the big night for TV was Molly Marsh, who admitted the experience felt like a ‘pinch me’ moment

Tired: Michelle Keegan was also getting ready as she told how she had only had two hours sleep after returning from a wedding in Bali

Ready! The Coronation Street cast were all together on a train to head down to London for the event including Andy Whyment, Claire Sweeney Daniel Brocklebank, Sally Carman, Joe Duttine, and Peter Ash

TV presenter and comedian O’Grady, who died earlier this year, has been nominated in the factual entertainment category for his show For The Love Of Dogs.

It will go up against Clarkson’s Farm, Sort Your Life Out and The Martin Lewis Money Show Live.

In the new drama category is Netflix hit Queen Charlotte: A Bridgeton Story, Blue Lights, Beyond Paradise and Wednesday, which stars Jenna Ortega as the Addams Family character Wednesday Addams.

For her role in the Bridgerton prequel, India Amarteifio, who plays Queen Charlotte, has been nominated for the drama performance award alongside Happy Valley stars James Norton and Sarah Lancashire who are competing against Vera’s Brenda Blethyn and Call the Midwife’s Judy Parfitt.

The ceremony comes just a day after Holly returned to the This Morning sofa on Monday.

ITV bosses were reportedly left pleased by her performance and believed her comeback had gone well, as they continue to fight to keep the presenter amid rumours she is wanted by the BBC. 

But in the latest sign their views are not in tune with public opinion, ITV viewers blasted her musical return to This Morning as ‘peak cringe’ – as the show faces a ‘make or break’ battle for survival following the Phillip Schofield scandal. 

Holly, smiling effusively in a black and white polka dot dress, was seen dancing along to a rendition of ABBA’s Dancing Queen by the cast of Mamma Mia The Party before embracing her fellow presenter Alison. 

Fans were less than convinced about the show of forced bonhomie to mark the end of Holly’s eight-week summer break at her luxury villa in Portugal, with one complaining: ‘It’s too early for this cringefest!’ 

Once considered a crown jewel of ITV’s schedule, This Morning now faces an uncertain future following Schofield’s departure in May after he admitted to an ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a much younger male colleague.

READ MORE: Holly’s This Morning return falls flat: Beleaguered ITV fails to win over viewers who slam ‘cringe’ musical opening 

 

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It has now emerged that the show has poached the boss of its rival Channel 4 daytime series Steph’s Packed Lunch as it awaits the results of an external investigation into complaints about the network’s toxic working culture.

Vivek Sharma has been hired from the lunchtime show hosted by Steph McGovern to work closely with under-fire This Morning editor Martin Frizell.

Producers will be desperate to recapture some of This Morning’s pre-Schofield scandal magic, but reactions to Monday’s opening scene suggest they are a long way off winning over viewers. 

Body language expert Darren Stanton that Holly seemed ‘unsure’ during her first show back, while Alison ‘made presenting look easy and effortless’.

Speaking on behalf of Spin Genie, Darren picked up on Holly’s body language, explaining that she was fidgeting on camera – which is a ‘sign of impatience and nervousness’.

He then explained that he saw the presenter ’tilting away’ from Alison when sitting on the sofa, suggesting she finds Alison’s presence ‘overpowering’.

Darren said: ‘Alison comes across as super relaxed, comfortable and confident. She makes it look easy and effortless. It’s clear Holly depends on her co-hosts when she is presenting, but Alison could own the room.

‘When the pair were standing up and speaking to the camera, Alison had her hands down to her front, while Holly had her hands to the side as well as touching her fingers.

‘This fidgeting is a sign of impatience and nervousness. She definitely comes across as nervous, unsettled and unsure. It’s clear it’s very much new to her and she’s still adjusting.

‘Alison is quite animated, she comes across as super confident, but when Holly sits next to her on the sofa as they present as a duo, we see Holly tilting herself away to the left. 

‘This suggests she finds Alison’s presence a bit overpowering. It’s a way of saying, ‘This is too much for me.’

Not-so happy family: Toxic allegations have surrounded This Morning,  suggesting the show won’t bag Best Daytime Show this year (This Morning cast pictured at the awards in 2020) 

Backlash: Holly’s return on Monday’s show received just 565,000 viewers – a loss of 171,000 from Friday’s show which bagged 736,000

‘Alison is loud, bubbly and confident – and she’s also tactile with Holly. She has very strong eye contact with her. 

‘She’s often making jokes and touching her hand a couple of times. This is to show she is here to support Holly.’

He went on to explain: ‘She wants to make her feel supported. Holly hasn’t yet made that gesture with Alison, and that tells me Alison has a much stronger authenticity and rapport with Holly than she has with her.

‘I have seen Holly masking a couple of her smiles. This doesn’t suggest she was lying, but she could be wanting to put on a front to protect how she’s feeling. It shows she isn’t completely comfortable on the sofa. She also displayed a twitching gesture with her fingers, which suggests she wasn’t feeling completely secure at that moment.’