Phillip Schofield Allegedly Calls Holly Willoughby “The Witch” and Blames Her for His Downfall

Phillip Schofield has reportedly referred to his former This Morning co-host, Holly Willoughby, as “the witch,” accusing her of playing a significant role in his professional decline. The relationship between the two took a sharp turn following Schofield’s admission of an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague.

After Schofield’s departure from his television role, Holly addressed viewers with an emotional statement, saying she felt “shaken, troubled, let down,” and “worried” about both Schofield and the young man involved. She also hinted that Schofield had not been fully truthful with those around him, told Daily Express.

In a recent episode of his Channel 5 show Cast Away, Schofield appeared to take a subtle dig at Holly. Sources close to him have since claimed that he now refers to Holly as “the witch” within his inner circle. An insider told The Sun that Schofield even uses a witch emoji when mentioning Holly in conversations, revealing, “He dislikes Holly so much now he calls her ‘the witch’ and sends the emoji to his mates if she comes up. He messaged Holly and told her, ‘You brought me down.’ He was furious and still is.”

Schofield was reportedly shocked when Holly did not publicly support him after his career began to unravel. He pointed the finger at her for not standing by him, especially after rumors of a rift emerged following his brother’s court case in May 2023. The former host had hoped for a public show of support or a photo opportunity with Holly, but she declined.

A source close to Schofield disclosed to The Mirror that he sensed his tenure on the show was over when Holly withheld her support. “He feels it was a simple gesture that might have saved his job, and her refusal to do so effectively finished him off. Believing in the TV chemistry was the bedrock of the This Morning format,” the source explained.

According to reports, Holly informed Schofield that she did not want to “feed the narrative” and claimed that ITV executives were against her making any public statement. When Schofield reached out to her via WhatsApp, Holly allegedly responded that she was unaware of the unfolding events. However, feeling betrayed, Schofield then contacted two senior ITV executives to express his frustrations about Holly’s lack of support.

The former presenter reportedly believes that Holly and a key figure at This Morning orchestrated a “very well-constructed coup” as his television career fell apart. A source commented, “Phillip considered her a friend, his TV sister as he called her, and always backed her, even recommending her for the jungle. Her lack of public support was a low blow in his eyes.”