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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Holly willoboughly

828 replies

midnightblue12 · 27/05/2023 21:03

Ok I know I've spelt her surname wrong... but here we are. We all know who I'm talking about!

I just don't understand why social media has turned on her, almost blaiming her for allowing Phillip S antics to go on?

Why is she responsible for his actions????

And for those saying "she must've known"... maybe she didn't! Maybe she kept out of it or maybe she didn't know the full one and puts.
Why so she being Blaine's. Am I missing something??!

OP posts:
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20
Deadringer · 27/05/2023 21:41

I am no fan of either of them but don't see why she should be blamed for something he did.

Thisisabsolutelyfine · 27/05/2023 21:41

I think PS is very much being blamed, but the point is (as we’ve seen before) that all those who stand by and let these things happen, are complicit. Those who complained about his conduct have a clear conscience, those like HW and several ITV execs who looked the other way, most certainly do not.

Mrsjayy · 27/05/2023 21:42

I mean he might have pulled the wool over her eyes too but is she really that naive?

JamSandle · 27/05/2023 21:43

Most peoples bosses or some of their colleagues are having affairs and doing worse and we don't chuck our jobs in. Not sure what Holly is in the wrong for. Not her life, not her career, not her business. ITV were well away and chose to keep him on.

curtainsfringe · 27/05/2023 21:43

I mean she may have believed his lies but lots of strangers knew about it & other colleagues so I'm not sure how she didn't know...

CantFindTheBeat · 27/05/2023 21:46

Are you genuine, OP?

Do you really think someone gets to the top of the game in TV and Media by being virtue of being nice & kind, along with naive and trusting?

For gods sake, wake up!!!

Holly Willoughby or WHOEVER is in her role would be 1000% aware of any kind of rumour/vibe/undercurrent.

The only way NOT to know is/was to deliberately put your head in the sand, or insert you 'I'm not listening fingers'.

FFS. Are you really that trusting?

curtainsfringe · 27/05/2023 21:46

I still do t really understand why we’re all hating him. Is it because he had an affair? Because he’s gay? Because the person he had the affair with was young and the rumour is he manipulated the person into a sexual relationship?

I can’t work it out. I don’t like him because he’s everywhere and seems a sanctimonious prick but I can’t work out why this is constant front page news. People have affairs all the time and keep their jobs. The whole of parliament lie all the time and keep their jobs. What am I missing?

Yeah the press are going in for the kill. I assume there is the power imbalance issue but reckon Phil must have pissed a lot of people off so now they are striking whilst the iron is hot.

myheadisspinningoutofcontrol · 27/05/2023 21:47

MVGsDarts · 27/05/2023 21:10

It was common knowledge. Of course she knew. Ruth Complained to itv bosses and was then banished from this morning along with her husband amongst others. It was also pretty easy to find on Twitter (and has been known in media, tv and theatre circles for a long time -pre his admission of being gay) there's no way she couldn't have known about it.

And maybe it was after this that she asked him and he denied it.

sofapaddling · 27/05/2023 21:48

aperolspritzbasicbitch · 27/05/2023 21:27

If Phil randomly met an 18 year old out at a bar and got his end away, that would be one (really rather questionable) thing.

But to know someone as a 12 year old child, when you are a fully grown man, and then engage in sexual activity, is something else entirely.

It might not be illegal, but it's still bloody wrong.

But didn't Cheryl Cole also do this with Liam? And then also have a baby with him?
There must be something more to this because the outrage isn't the same

myheadisspinningoutofcontrol · 27/05/2023 21:48

I wish people would leave her alone.

Don't blame a young woman for the sexual behaviours of a man!

Livelovebehappy · 27/05/2023 21:50

Zipidydodah · 27/05/2023 21:13

And even if she did? So whet?She should have done what? Refused to go on air with him while the studio and the TV bosses covered it all up. She should have sacrificed her career? Well she did … so duck off everyone who wants to drag a women down for a man’s she’s not even married to actions.

Not her fault obviously. But apparently many of the other presenters on the program did know, and they weren’t as close to him as she was. She chose to turn a blind eye to protect her career. Things were going great for the pair - they were extremely popular on the show and they were rewarded with other presenting work on shows such as Dancing on Ice. No way was she going to throw him under the bus and destroy their partnership. From media reports, it was very clear that an inappropriate relationship was going on, and Holly, along with the shows executives and producers, enabled the situation to be brushed under the carpet. And there’s going to be a lot more to be revealed in the coming weeks.

curtainsfringe · 27/05/2023 21:51

Don't blame a young woman for the sexual behaviours of a man!

Who is blaming her for Phil's behaviour? They are blaming her for not having an issue without before but now that it's out distancing herself.

Justmuddlingalong · 27/05/2023 21:52

It's the inappropriate sexual behaviour most people have an issue with.
She's no responsibility for how he behaves, but she sure as hell has a responsibility for how she reacts to it.
Slowly with a wait and see attitude it seems.

Nottodayplease36 · 27/05/2023 21:53

I can’t believe people are not understanding the outrage. He groomed a young boy, he helped this young boy further his career as a reward for sexual favours. It doesn’t matter if the boy was technically legal when it happened (although I wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t) it is a person in a power position using that power for sex. The oldest the boy was when this happened was 18, Philip was in his 50’s at the time. An 18 year old, school boy.

As for HW, there is no doubt she knew, I used to really like her but not now. Ruth and Eamon are the only two decent humans in all this.

Doyoumind · 27/05/2023 21:55

She says she didn't know but it's inconceivable she didn't. I've known for ages and I have no interest in celebrities or This Morning. Everyone knew. There were pictures of him with the runner.

GrinAndVomit · 27/05/2023 21:55

She has no responsibility for his behaviour.
She is only responsible for her own; and her own behaviour was to be complicit in the grooming and abuse of a teenager.
If a male teacher was known to be having a relationship with an 18 student, and a female member of staff knew about it but ignored it, would be allowed to condemn that?

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men (or women) to do nothing.”

Iamtheonwandlonely · 27/05/2023 21:55

TeaKitten · 27/05/2023 21:19

Even if she did no that he’s a creep, it was common knowledge and ITV wouldn’t act on it, so what was she suppose to do? Throw away her career and ability to feed her kids? And what would that have achieved? What exactly was her crime? If everyone at itv new why not shut down the channel rather than blaming one woman?

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Her husband is a producer so it's not like she's on the breadline.
Plus she's distanced herself now when the shots about to hit the fan.

Plus she chose her friendship to him rather than doing the right thing.
She deserves everything coming to her.

Harryyourenogoodalone · 27/05/2023 21:55

She knew. She's enabled the disgusting creep.

TeaYarn · 27/05/2023 21:56

I wondered when the Poor Holly crowd would come along to infantilise her.

The poor dumb blond getting blamed for the menz crimes. She’s just too stupid to know what was going on. Phillip lied to her and she is just so naive her poor little brain couldn’t figure out he wasn’t telling the truth.

Who would have thought the man with the teenager on his lap could be up to no good. Not our poor dumb Holly.

Let’s light a candle for her and pay she makes it through this.

FFS

GrinAndVomit · 27/05/2023 21:57

Iamtheonwandlonely · 27/05/2023 21:55

Her husband is a producer so it's not like she's on the breadline.
Plus she's distanced herself now when the shots about to hit the fan.

Plus she chose her friendship to him rather than doing the right thing.
She deserves everything coming to her.

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Teakitten’s post made me laugh out loud!
Worry about feeding her kids indeed.

RudsyFarmer · 27/05/2023 21:58

OrwellianTimes · 27/05/2023 21:25

Can you read that back to yourself please? How can you not hate on someone who “he manipulated the {young} person into a sexual relationship”

That is a vile thing to do at any time, let alone if you’re in a position of power.

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But do we know he actually did that? That’s the point.

HamBone · 27/05/2023 22:00

@RudsyFarmer Are you comfortable with a teenager having a relationship with someone in their 50’s, regardless of how it came about?

As the Mum of teenagers, I’m curious to know.

RudsyFarmer · 27/05/2023 22:03

Am I comfortable? I honestly don’t know. I’m not uncomfortable but that comes with caveats. Is there a power imbalance in the relationship that is coercive? Then I’m not happy. Is there money being exchanged? Not happy. If it’s two people genuinely having a consensual adult relationship then it’s none of my business. How we determine that I have no idea. Often the younger person thinks they were a willing participant until they get older and then they realise it was coercive.

Unsure33 · 27/05/2023 22:03

ArcticSkewer · 27/05/2023 21:26

Younger.

But legal, apparently, so that's fine.

I was just thinking about those creepy teachers who wait til their pupils are 'legal' cos that's fine. They get struck off nowadays thank goodness.

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Plus if he lied before he could be lying now ?

there could be more to come .

RudsyFarmer · 27/05/2023 22:04

Nottodayplease36 · 27/05/2023 21:53

I can’t believe people are not understanding the outrage. He groomed a young boy, he helped this young boy further his career as a reward for sexual favours. It doesn’t matter if the boy was technically legal when it happened (although I wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t) it is a person in a power position using that power for sex. The oldest the boy was when this happened was 18, Philip was in his 50’s at the time. An 18 year old, school boy.

As for HW, there is no doubt she knew, I used to really like her but not now. Ruth and Eamon are the only two decent humans in all this.

MPs used to do that as standard. Probably still happens. No one gave a shit.