This Morning hosts Philip Schofield and Holly WIlloughby presenting amid rumours of a rift. Photo / ITV
This Morning hosts Philip Schofield and Holly WIlloughby presenting amid rumours of a rift. Photo / ITV
When Phillip Schofield came out as gay in 2020, there was one person he especially wanted to thank. “My friends are the best, especially Holly, who has been so kind and wise - and who has hugged me as I sobbed on her shoulder,” he wrote in an emotional Instagram post.
Cut to this week, and Holly Willoughby isn’t so forthcoming with the hugs. The golden couple of British daytime TV are having a relationship crisis. Rumours abound that Schofield will soon be on his way out of This Morning, ending a 14-year partnership that once looked unbreakable. Of course, the pair have endeavoured to hide this from viewers, never more so than on Monday’s show when they were tasked with reviewing the day’s papers and ignored The Sun front page, which yelled: “Furious Phil Calls in Lawyer.”
This is the duo who have spent the past decade-and-a-half describing each other as “best friends” in gushing social media posts; who holidayed together each year; and whose giggly on-screen chemistry was for so long a hit with audiences, especially when they partied so hard after winning a National Television Award that they rolled up to work the following morning without having gone to bed.
So what are the reasons for their supposed fall-out? Reports range from Willoughby being upset that Schofield did not tell her about his brother being charged with child sex offences (Timothy Schofield was convicted last month after a trial at Exeter Crown Court) to her feeling annoyed by the way Schofield interrupts her while she interviews guests. Some say things have never been the same since the pair were accused of queue-jumping at Elizabeth II’s lying in state, which prompted a public outcry and gave Willoughby her first taste of bad publicity.
But insiders say the real root of the problem lies in Schofield’s personal life, and the changes wrought since he announced to the world that he was gay. “Only by facing this, by being honest, can I hope to find peace in my mind and a way forward,” he explained at the time. “Never been more proud of my friend than I am today,” Willoughby said, as she praised his bravery.
This Morning with Holly & Phil, the definition of ‘grin and bear it’. The review of “today’s big stories” avoided some front pages. Phil’s reportedly called in reputation management. They’re pros, I’ll give them that. But brrrr. pic.twitter.com/ktTvAvsrpZ
Schofield moved out of the home he had shared with Stephanie, his wife of 27 years, and their two daughters. He bought a £2 million house in Chiswick and said that he was “not rushing” to find a new partner.
However, three years on, there is no significant other, and sources say he now cuts a lonely figure. Without the familiarity of family life and routine, he has become unmoored, say those connected to the show, increasingly insecure and demanding of Willoughby’s time and attention.
“Phil has become needy,” says a This Morning insider. “There has been a role reversal - where once Holly was a young presenter who looked up to Phil, she is now the grown-up in the partnership.
“Things haven’t worked out the way Phil hoped. He is now a single man without a family to go home to each day. He wants to hang out with Holly, but she has a husband and three children, as well as a business to run [Wyldemoon, a lifestyle brand].
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield are rumoured to be coming to the end of their 14-year on-screen partnership. Photo / Getty Images
“It’s not true to say that they’re not speaking behind the scenes. But things have cooled. It has made for an awkward atmosphere in the studio.”
If those difficulties had stayed out of the public domain, they might have worked themselves out over time. But television is a gossipy business, and Schofield has enemies. Rumours of on-set tensions soon leaked out, and were seized upon with glee.
Willoughby’s smiley, girl-next-door image belies a smart business brain.
“She is ultra-professional and likes to curate what the public sees of her life,” a colleague said. She was therefore horrified when Schofield responded to the rumours by issuing a public statement last week confirming their strained relationship.
“As I have said before, Holly is my rock,” it began.
“We’re the best of friends - as always, she is an incredible support on screen, behind the scenes and on the phone. Holly has always been there for me, through thick and thin. And I’ve been there for her. The last few weeks haven’t been easy for us.”
Schofield’s decision to speak publicly has been taken by bosses as a sign that he is becoming increasingly erratic. On Monday’s show, he looked tearful on more than one occasion, when weepiness has traditionally been Willoughby’s stock in trade. His exaggerated attempts at jollity were transparent, and viewers don’t like being taken for fools.
Willoughby has let it be known that she would remain on This Morning if Schofield left.
Ever pragmatic and career-focused, she is well aware of her status as ITV’s biggest asset and, at 42, has many years ahead of her.
Schofield is 61 and his star is waning. Attempts to strike out in other directions have flopped: his presenting at the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration last year was panned. Martin Frizzell, editor of This Morning, is said to have tired of “clearing up [Schofield’s] mess”. Executives higher up the food chain are determined to hang on to Willoughby, fearful that the BBC could offer her a tempting deal to spread her wings beyond daytime.
Nor does Schofield have too many friends in the business, which is why Willoughby’s support is so crucial. There have been past allegations of overbearing behaviour on set.
Casting around for media advice in recent days, Schofield was told to take control of the story - hence his decision to hire a lawyer, with the idea that any further potentially damaging allegations could be stamped out at source. He is desperate to hang on to his job. There would be other offers - Channel 5 could put in a bid, and there are so many commercial radio stations these days that at least one would give him a gig - but being forced out of This Morning after so many years would be humiliating.
Schofield might justifiably feel aggrieved at the reversal in fortunes. He was already an established name when he began presenting This Morning in 2002.
After Britton announced that she was leaving the show in 2009, he pushed for Willoughby to be her replacement - the pair had forged a successful partnership on ITV’s Dancing On Ice - and said it had been “a tough sell” to bosses. Willoughby has acknowledged in the past that she owes her career to him.
But she is the one in the driving seat now. “If there’s any negativity coming in from anywhere, I don’t want to be part of it,” Willoughby once trilled, and her desire for a friction-less existence may spell the end of this long-running partnership. The future of This Morning could see her presenting the show with either Alison Hammond or Dermot O’Leary, who do regular hosting duty.
Willoughby is also intent on building her personal brand, and insiders say she does not want to be dragged down by Schofield’s troubles. With her Wyldemoon website, offering tips on wellness, serenity and make-up tips, Willoughby aims to become Britain’s answer to Gwyneth Paltrow.
In her most recent Wyldemoon journal entry, Willoughby writes that she has learned to say no to things. “Every time I do that, things start to shift, and actually the biggest thing I’ve realised on this journey is that I’m not actually going anywhere!”
If anyone is going anywhere, it is her old pal Phil.
