Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby: What really happened on This Morning
The television industry is populated with numerous journalists, but a handful have formed partnerships that have made them unforgettable. Such is the case of ITV's This Morning hosts, Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. Their alliance resulted in high ratings, and fans were surprised by their estrangement and subsequent split.
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Key takeaways
- Phillip and Holly were hosting partners for more than a decade before the crack in their relationship blew out of proportion.
- Holly has consistently demonstrated her respect and appreciation for Phillips' role in her career trajectory.
- Their partnership began to deteriorate with Phillip’s office affair with a younger man and his brother’s sexual offence conviction.
Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby’s partnership began in 2006
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield's emergence as a prolific television duo in the UK began with a gig on Dancing on Ice. They co-presented 12 series of the competition in 2006 until Schofield retired from the show.
This partnership established a bond that translated into a vote of confidence three years later. Holly, while speaking to The Sunday Post about her emergence as Phillip’s partner on This Morning, said:
There’s no way I would even have been considered for This Morning if it hadn’t been for Phil. I know for a fact that he was the one who mentioned me. He pushed for me to get the job in the first place. I totally owe him everything.
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Phillip Schofield's former partner on the show left in 2009
Schofield’s former partner on ITV’s This Morning, Fern Britton, stepped away from the show in 2009, creating a vacuum. Phillips pushed for Holly to be named as his partner, vouching that she would be a good fit despite the pushback from top executives.
Willoughby’s background in fashion television shows prompted scepticism, and she was not deemed suitable to conduct serious interviews.
The co-host sees Phillip as a sort of mentor and has, on various occasions, said she could not imagine herself doing the show without him. Holly and Phillip were a total team on and off the camera, which also reflected the relationship between their respective families.
Schofield came out of the closet, but Holly stood by him
Phillip shocked fans and the entire television industry with a clarification about his sexual orientation in 2020. He claimed that he had come to terms with the fact that he was gay with the strength and support of his wife and daughters.
The television presenter has a supportive wife, Steph, whom he has been married to for about three decades, and two daughters. According to Sky News, his statement read:
My inner conflict contrasts with an outside world that has changed so very much for the better. Today, quite rightly, being gay is a reason to celebrate and be proud. Yes, I am feeling pain and confusion, but that comes only from the hurt that I am causing to my family.
He continued:
Steph has been incredible - I love her so very much. She is the kindest soul I have ever met. My girls have been astonishing in their love, hugs, and encouraging words of comfort.
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Phillip and Holly's friendship ended in 2023
The popular duo is no longer partners on This Morning, and several fans have speculated on the reason for this. In a publication by The Mirror, one such example was when Phil denied Holly’s attempt to host a This Morning session without him. It was International Women's Day, and Holly had the bright idea of making it only about women.
Rumours emerged about Holly’s disappointment when it came out that Phillip was having an affair with a younger male co-worker. She reportedly claimed to have asked him about the allegations as a friend and that he had lied about it by saying there was nothing between them.
Some believed that the negative publicity they received after they were accused of skipping the queue at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022, played a key role. Despite explanations that they had only gotten the special pass like most journalists, the crack in their already-strained relationship only widened.
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They have thrown subtle jabs at each other since the split
Holly and Phil’s latest news includes backhanded innuendos and straight-out pretending like the other never existed. After Phil resigned from This Morning, he claimed to have sent a message to Holly, which she never replied to.
Holly did not comment publicly about the issue and instead thanked Phillip for his time on the show with her. Per Standard UK, her farewell statement to Phil in October 2024 read:
It’s been over 13 great years presenting This Morning with Phil, and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for all of his knowledge, his experience, and his humour.
There are rumours that Phillip was talking about Holly when he made some offensive comments about three individuals in the industry. Holly Willoughby's scandal-free personality has remained intact, but she did not respond to the speculations. Despite her public civility, it is believed that the friendship is broken beyond repair.
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Frequently asked questions
- Are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby related? The estranged presenters are only related by work, but they built a strong friendship that has collapsed.
- What disability does Holly Willoughby have? She often discussed having dyslexia on air, but does not see it as a setback.
- Who did Phillip Schofield have a relationship with at ITV? He had an extramarital affair with a younger colleague at work whom he first met when the latter was 15 years old.
- Why has Phillip Schofield left ITV? He stepped away from hosting after he confessed to having an affair with a work colleague.
Conclusion
Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby both exited ITV in 2023. They are currently not on talking terms, but their partnership remains the stuff of legend. They are still affiliated with ITV, but not as a team.
READ MORE: The truth behind Phillip Schofield's relationship with Matthew McGreevy
As Briefly.co.za published, Phillip Schofield is an English TV personality who became famous through the programs This Morning and Dancing on Ice.
His career took a turn following his public admission of an unwise but not illegal relationship with a male colleague believed to be Matthew McGreevy.
Source: Briefly News
