HOLLY Willoughby reportedly felt "forced" to leave This Morning and is "in a bad way", a friend has claimed.
The presenter, 42, announced she was leaving the ITV show after 14 years in a statement on Instagram last night.
Holly said it had been an "honour" to be part of the show, adding that it had "many chapters left to go".
But angry friends have revealed she felt she had to leave the role due to fears over her safety.
A pal told The Mirror: "She is in a bad way but some things aren’t worth it no matter how much she adored This Morning.
"It’s terrible that one of our best presenters felt she had no choice."
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Holly is understood to have only told ITV bosses of her intention to quit just minutes before her post on Instagram last night.
She is said to have been left terrified to be away from her kids after Gavin Plumb was charged in relation to an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her.
Holly spent the weekend tearfully discussing the decision with her family.
But an ITV source told MailOnline: "While there have been murmurings since the kidnap [allegation] came out that Holly might decide to give it all up, the bosses were confident that they were giving her all of the support she needed.
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"Then bang, this. It came as a real shock, especially as she vowed to save This Morning after Phil was ousted. People are gobsmacked, the place is chaos."
Another said Holly had decided she couldn't continue in the high-profile rule and also not be able to take her children to school.
Her shock departure is hugely worrying for This Morning, which is still awaiting the results of an investigation into the show amid claims of “toxicity” on the set.
In her statement yesterday, Holly said: "I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning.
“To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so, so much.
“This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we’ve done together. I will not be returning to This Morning.
“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 very best company every day.”
Pals say Holly’s fallout with her former co-host Phillip Schofield, 61, also played a major part.
They added: “This was an incredibly hard decision for Holly but, in all honesty, she hasn’t been truly happy at work since the fallout with Phil. Seeing him hung out to dry has been hard and took its toll.
“Fourteen years in any workplace is a long stretch, and she has been considering other opportunities over the summer. The time to leave feels right — albeit under the darkest of circumstances.”
It follows a turbulent year for Holly in which she has faced an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her, the breakdown of her relationship with Phillip and the "Queuegate" scandal.
Holly’s decision to quit has also fuelled speculation over the findings of the external investigation into the long-running series.
The probe was ordered by ITV boss Dame Carolyn McCall after Phil’s departure.
An ITV source added: “Alarm bells are ringing at This Morning. Holly’s departure is a massive loss and the external review has still not yet seen the light of day.
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"It is raising questions internally about how damaging the findings could be and the impact it could have.
“Some think it is time for an overhaul, starting right at the top.”
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