Comedian Matt Richardson has claimed he was involved in a behind-the-scenes dispute with Holly Willoughby after she took offence to a joke he made about one of her closest friends. The former This Morning presenter is said to have confronted Richardson years later, accusing him of crossing a line during a television rehearsal.
In a TikTok video, Richardson said the incident dates back to 2014, when he participated in a run-through for a proposed panel show called Reality Bites. During the session, singer Nicole Appleton, a close friend of Willoughby and member of All Saints, was present. Richardson recalled host Stephen Mulhern asking Appleton about a previous TV appearance, prompting him to joke: 'Because the three of those in that room add up to one celebrity.'
Richardson said the comment got a laugh in the room and was intended as light-hearted. He later became friendly with Appleton, socialising together, and claimed she reassured him the joke had not caused offence. However, the situation resurfaced several years later when Willoughby approached him at a members' club.
According to Richardson, Willoughby told him: 'You made a joke about Nicole and it was f***ing unacceptable. How dare you?' He immediately checked with Appleton, who was standing nearby, asking if she had been offended. She said it was fine and not a problem. Despite this, he claimed Willoughby 'had a real go' at him, describing the exchange as 'really weird' and unexpected.
Richardson later appeared on Dancing on Ice in 2021, which Willoughby co-hosted, but said they barely spoke due to Covid restrictions and training demands. Fans were divided, with some defending Willoughby's reaction as defending her friend, while others found the joke harsh. The Standard has contacted Willoughby's representatives for comment.
