Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby’s Fallout Traced Back to International Women’s Day Dispute
The reported rift between former This Morning co-hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield is believed to have started when Holly was left furious over an incident surrounding International Women’s Day. Allegedly, tensions began to rise after Schofield refused to allow Holly to present the show solo for the special day, a move that reportedly left her “incandescent” with anger.
Insiders suggest that this disagreement was the catalyst for their growing distance, which ultimately led to them becoming estranged. According to sources, Phillip feels betrayed by Holly, particularly after he stepped back from all ITV work following his admission of an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a much younger colleague, despite previously denying the allegations.
According to a report by The Sun, Phillip became aware of Holly’s request to present alone after ITV boss Martin Frizell texted him, asking if he would like to take the day off for the occasion. Phillip allegedly declined the offer, which sparked Holly’s anger. “Phil said Holly was ‘incandescent’ about the whole thing,” the report claims. Following the incident, the ITV press team reportedly received calls from the media, suggesting that Phillip had been “difficult,” leading to speculation that Holly may have wanted to take over the show solo, implying she no longer needed her co-host.
Despite the drama, Holly did present the first segment of This Morning on International Women’s Day with an all-female production team. She opened the show with enthusiasm, saying, “Happy International Women’s Day! Well look at this, this is a lovely way to start the show to celebrate International Women’s Day.” Holly went on to praise the women behind the scenes, adding, “We wanted to start with the incredible ladies that help put this show together… We are very proud to work with you amazing women, you are all brilliant.”
However, the tension between Holly and Phillip reportedly deepened in the aftermath. Sources speaking to The Sun claim that Phillip now refers to Holly as “the witch” within his close circle, using a hatted hag emoji when mentioning her. One insider alleged that Phillip messaged Holly with the words, “You brought me down,” expressing his ongoing fury.
The fallout between the once-close friends has left viewers and insiders speculating about the future dynamics at This Morning and what caused their relationship to deteriorate so dramatically.