THE ex-girlfriend of Holly Willoughby’s kidnap plotter has revealed her horror after he was convicted planning to rape and kill the star.
Ellie Hoad, who dated Gavin Plumb for three months in 2007, described the obese fantasist as a “hermit”.
She also told how there was no hint of his dark side, which saw the security guard hatch a vile plot to kidnap, rape and murder Holly.
Ellie added: “It really shocked me because that is not the person I knew. He never showed any signs of that when I knew him, whatsoever.
“So the fact he’s gone like this, I don’t even know how to explain it.”
Ellie said Plumb had a “good personality and a good sense of humour”.
She told Sky News how he would spend most of his time indoors playing video games such as Call of Duty.
It was this time inside where Plumb spent “99.9 per cent” of his time online – trawling through creepy websites for an accomplice as he formulated his Holly kidnap plot.
He collected a cache of millions of images of the presenter and other female celebrities.
Plumb also tracked Holly’s movements and activities for “some time” as he gathered intel on her security arrangements.
At one stage, he even considered booking a tour to the ITV studios that would involve meeting presenters.
He had grown obsessed with the former This Morning star when his weight ballooned to 35 stone.
As he was housebound, he began watching more daytime TV, which led to Plumb developing a “celebrity crush” on Holly.
This turned sinister when Plumb set his sights on snatching the presenter after spending years researching kidnapping celebs.
His twisted plans were only foiled when he divulged all the chilling details to an undercover cop on a site called Abduct Lovers.
Believing the plan was a “credible” one, David Nelson contacted both the FBI and police, who swooped on Plumb’s home in October last year.
Footage showed the officers being greeted by a topless Plumb, who told them Holly was “fantasy of mine”.
It emerged during his trial that Plumb had previous for abduction attempts – targeting two cabin crew workers on a train as air stewardesses were a “fantasy” of his.
He also tied up a 16-year-old girl at knifepoint but was freed from jail for that disturbing offence in 2010.
Plumb sobbed as the verdict was handed down today after he denied soliciting murder, incitement to kidnap and incitement to rape.
He was remanded into custody to be sentenced on July 12.
