DAN WOOTTON: ITV faces This Morning boycott: After Holly and Phillip’s car-crash reunion, I can reveal that A-listers are threatening to stay away from show amid backstage revolt and complaints over ‘double standards’ at play with Schofield
Backstage at This Morning, cast and crew have known for months that Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby‘s once-close friendship is well and truly over.
But, aside from a few awkward moments on air where he has arrogantly spoken over her, prompting Holly’s understandable fury, the fracturing of the partnership has remained hidden from viewers…until today.
With the feuding friends broadcasting live to the nation on ITV, we had all the awkwardness of a secretly divorcing couple having to attend a dinner party together while pretending they’re still madly in love.
For a painful two-and-a-half hours, poor Holly’s eyes were darting left to right, as they were forced to read scripted lines like: ‘Making working with your partner look easy.’
But, as the body language experts have already sussed out, nothing about this morning’s working partnership on This Morning was easy.
Holly and Phil were back on screen together this morning amid claims of their faltering relationship
As the body language experts have already sussed out, nothing about this morning’s working partnership on This Morning was easy, writes Dan Wootton
The fake laughter was more excruciating than usual, knowing Phillip has hired high priced lawyers and crisis PR experts to find a way to save the day.
The dire performance prompted one ITV celebrity to message me: ‘This farce cannot go on.’
Indeed, there is a major growing revolt brewing backstage at the broadcaster from some of its biggest stars – and a truckload of production staff – about the seeming double standards at play.
How can ITV continue to stand by Phillip, despite a succession of scandals and complaints from highly credibly fellow presenters, given the brutality with which its discarded other stars, including Jeremy Kyle, Piers Morgan and Jeremy Clarkson?
Comedian Dapper Laughs, whose ITV series was cancelled in 2014, became one of the first to go on the record today, tweeting: ‘Sat thinking about how ITV dropped me over a joke and Schofield’s still on there.’
So too did Eamonn Holmes, who was axed as This Morning’s Friday presenter after standing up to Phillip.
Now a colleague of mine on GB News, where he presents the fast-growing breakfast show, he said on air today: ‘I think there should have been a special award for Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby for best actors.
There had been questions about whether the TV duo would appear on air together today
The fake laughter was more excruciating than usual, knowing Phillip has hired high priced lawyers and crisis PR experts to find a way to save the day. Pictured: Phillip Schofield works out on the show
‘He’s brought in lawyers, she’s brought in a PR team. The public surely will suss that there’s no chemistry, that it’s a broken fit between the two of them and that This Morning does not depend on who presents it.’
Privately, the outrage is growing, too.
One of Phillip’s former co-presenters told me: ‘It’s ridiculous how he’s so protected. He is not loved by the viewers and adds nothing. People are scared of him. But why does ITV stand by him?’
I am also aware of at least two A-list This Morning regulars who have made it clear to bosses that they will not return to the show while Phillip remains in his job.
One star explained: ‘It is absolutely disgusting that ITV takes the moral high ground over lots of issues, but then continues to give their major daily presenting slot to Phillip, despite the tonne of complaints that have been made against him.
‘Lots of us have now told our agents that we will not be appearing on This Morning while he is still there.’
A boycott of major stars would further heap the pressure on ITV bosses to take action sooner rather than later.
The duo laughed repeatedly during today’s show – but some viewers thought it was forced
Comedian Dapper Laughs, whose ITV series was cancelled in 2014, became one of the first to go on the record today to call out double standards
It also undermines attempts by the show to attract major newsworthy interviews, including members of the Royal Family.
‘No major name is going to involve themselves in this s*** show, so you’re going to see a succession of stars appearing on This Morning who are already connected to ITV,’ one TV source said.
While Holly is the ultimate professional, she has now made clear to executives that she no longer feels her long-term future is presenting beside Phillip.
Last week a source close to her told me: ‘For Holly there’s also a degree of her becoming concerned that some of the scandals connected to Phillip are damaging her reputation.’
Following my column, Phillip released a statement to The Sun, insisting the pair remain ‘the best of friends’ but admitting ‘the last few weeks haven’t been easy for either of us’.
It seemed like he hoped the public pledge would push Holly into making a similar pronouncement, but the silence from her camp has been deafening.
One of Phillip’s former co-presenters told me: ‘It’s ridiculous how he’s so protected. He is not loved by the viewers and adds nothing. People are scared of him. But why does ITV stand by him?’ Pictured: Phillip leaves his west London home for This Morning today
In reality, the tensions between Phillip and Holly have been growing since 2019.
At the time, I revealed how Phillip’s PA and personal runner – a male in his twenties– left This Morning to work on Loose Women.
The Mail on Sunday’s Katie Hind reported yesterday that the move came ‘amid unsubstantiated claims of a falling out with Schofield’, even though ITV insist he was promoted.
‘Some of the network’s biggest names expressed their surprise at the time, he was very popular. He never really spoke about it,’ a source told her.
I remember working at ITV Daytime at the time and was aware the job move made many of the stars of Loose Women uncomfortable.
The individual in question has now left the broadcaster altogether.
Later in today’s car crash episode of the ITV flagship show, the clearly desperate production team gifted Phillip and Holly This Morning branded shot glasses as they interviewed Myleene Klass.
It felt like an exasperating bid to recreate the glory days of their friendship when the pair would turn up on the TV sofa hungover after a boozy awards night.
But Phil had to admit the vessels were only filled with water, somewhat defeating the purpose, as they went through the motions and downed the ‘shot’.
This felt like the daytime TV equivalent of the last days of Rome.
