TV comic Matt Richardson has revealed his secret feud with .
The former Xtra Factor presenter, 34, recalled how a joke he made back in 2014 when he was doing a run-through for a new panel show called Reality Bites sparked tension.
Matt claimed Holly took offence with a gag he made about her close friend . He added years later when he took part in the 2021 series of they 'barely spoke'.
He said in a video: 'Holly Willoughby doesn’t like me, I don’t think. Many years ago, we are talking 2014, I did a run-through in an office.
'They were developing a new panel show called Reality Bites and I was maybe going to be a team captain.
'When they were first developing it, you do run throughs of the show. So we are doing run throughs and one of the people on it was Nicole Appleton.
TV comic Matt Richardson has revealed his secret feud with Holly Willoughby
'I had met Nicole because she was a guest judge on The X Factor when we went to judges’ houses with Sinitta, Shane Filan.
'In this panel setting, the host Stephen Mulhern asked her, "Why were there three of you on that?",
And I said: "Because the three of those in that room add up to one celebrity." It got a laugh in the room, it was clearly a joke, whatever.
'I then became quite friendly with Nicole. We had a few mutual friends, we used to go out drinking. I’ve been to her house for a party.
'We really got on for the next few years. I’d seen her loads and she was like, "That’s really funny".'
Matt then claimed three or four years later, Holly confronted him over the joke.
Nicole, a former member of the pop group All Saints, is a key part of Holly's inner circle of famous friends, which also includes Emma Bunton.
He went on: 'Holly comes up to me at something and she’s like, ‘I’ve got a problem with you.
'She was in the room at the run-through because her husband’s company were making it.
The former Xtra Factor presenter, 34, recalled how a joke he made back in 2014 when he was doing a run-through for a new panel show called Reality Bites sparked tension
Nicole, a former member of the pop group All Saints, is a key part of Holly's inner circle of famous friends, which also includes Emma Bunton
Fans defended Holly in the comment section as they wrote: 'Why are people acting like this makes her a bad person? She thought she was defending her friend'
She was like, "You made a joke about Nicole and it was f***ing unacceptable. How dare you?" I was like, One, it was a joke. Nicole was stood next to me and I went, "Did it offend you?" And she said, "No it was fine, I got it, it’s not a problem".
'Holly goes, "Yeah, but still…" and had a real go at me, which was really weird. I was being told off by Holly Willoughby in the middle of this members club.
'I didn’t really see her again until I did Dancing on Ice when we barely spoke because it was Covid and I was training.
'She might still think I’m a t**t, but I don’t know.'
Fans defended Holly in the comment section as they wrote: 'Why are people acting like this makes her a bad person? She thought she was defending her friend. She may have been mistaken but that doesn’t make you a bad person';
'Tbh I’m with Holly - like cool that Nicole was fine with it, but it’s a pretty harsh joke to make about someone you’re not close friends with at that time. Not exactly a big offence but still';
'It was rude!!! Nicole should have confirmed it was rude!!'
Daily Mail has contacted Holly's representatives for comment.
Matt co-presented The Xtra Factor in 2013 with Caroline Flack before he was replaced by Olly Murs.
He has also starred on Dancing on Ice, Celebrity Haunted Mansion, and The Hangover Games.
