Holly Willoughby ‘kidnap’ suspect Gavin Plumb ‘contacted US hitman to kill her’-Kitty Chrisp-Entertainment – Metro

Gavin Plumb, 36,from Harlow, Essex is accused of plotting the kidnap and murder of Holly Willoughby (Picture: Rex)

A man who is accused of plotting to kidnap and kill Holly Willoughby had contacted a hitman in the US to murder the star and had weapons stashed in his home, a court heard today. 

Gavin Plumb, 36, from Harlow, Essex, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with soliciting to commit murder and incitement to commit kidnap of the 42-year-old This Morning star.

While Holly’s house is reportedly being guarded by police, the father-of-one appeared in the dock at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court today.

Plumb worked as a kitchen assistant at Pizza Hut between 2011 and 2012, according to his LinkedIn.

Today, Plumb spoke in court only to confirm his name. He was reprimanded in custody and will appear before the city’s crown court on November 3.

The suspect is not known to Holly, it has been reported, and ITV bosses were alerted to the alleged plot on Thursday morning, leaving Josie Gibson and Alison Hammond to host This Morning together as Holly pulled out, shortly before she was due to go on air.

Gavin Plumb is said to have previously appeared on a BBC feature about weight loss

Holly has been flooded with messages of support (Picture: Matt Frost/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Dermot O’Leary sent a message of support to Holly on the ITV show today alongside Alison, as they said: ‘We were obviously all shocked to hear the news and we want to send our love and biggest hugs to Holly and her family.’

Meanwhile, even Rishi Sunak voiced his concern over the alleged plot, as he appeared on This Morning today and said: ‘Before we get going, I was going to say, I’m so sorry to hear about everything that’s going on with Holly.’

‘I just wanted to send my best to her and her family, and to all of you.’

MailOnline reports that Plumb was unable to work because he couldn’t get out of his flat, which he revealed in a BBC feature on weight loss in 2018.

In the feature, Plumb was said to have written a diary for BBC after weighing 35 stone.

He said that he downed an average of 36 pints of coca cola a week, the publication notes, adding that he was unable to leave his home for at least four years before 2018, and only left to go to the communal bins.

He is also reported to have said: ‘My weight has always fluctuated. At my heaviest, I was 35 and a half stone. When the weight started to pile on, that was when my mental health really went down.

‘It’s a vicious circle. When I’m depressed, I eat – and when I eat, I’m depressed. For a long time, I found it difficult walking around. But getting to the point of not being able to go out, that really crept up on me.

‘I hate sitting indoors. I hate looking at the same four walls 24/7. I hate being the size I am.

‘I’m pretty much in pain everywhere. I get chest pains and I’ve just been told it’s because of my weight. I’m scared that if I have something to eat or if I get up and I do too much, that’s it, I’m done.’

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