Phillip Schofield ‘could not watch’ Holly Willoughby’s return to This Morning

Sources close to Phillip Schofield, 61, have claimed that although the star wishes Holly Willoughby well, it would be too tough for him to watch her return to the This Morning set on Monday.

Following Phillip’s high-profile exit from the daytime TV show, Holly, 42, has been taking a break and getting some sun with her family in Portugal.

However, the mum-of-three is due to return to the This Morning sofa tomorrow (Monday June 5) and is rumoured to be making a statement live on air, following the furore surrounding Phillip admitting to having an affair with a much younger male ITV colleague.

However, a source close to Phillip has claimed to The Sun that he won’t be tuning in to watch his former co-host.

They reportedly said: “He physically could not watch — he’s not there yet.

Read more: Ulrika Jonsson brands Phillip Schofield ‘arrogant’ as she asks ‘what about his poor wife?’

“Even listening to the opening credits would be hugely triggering. His family is being incredibly careful not to have the TV on when he’s in the room to ensure he doesn’t see anything.”

The source continued to claim: “Of course he is aware Holly is back on air today and he absolutely wanted her to shine, and smash it.

“But he physically could not watch — he is not there yet.”

Phillip and Holly presented This Morning for 13 years together before the former stepped away from the show late last month.

Following his departure from the show, Phillip admitted to the Daily Mail that he had been having an affair with a younger male colleague while he was still married to wife Stephanie Lowe.

In a statement, he wrote that he had met the unnamed man “when he was a teenager” but insisted that the relationship they eventually embarked on “was unwise, but not illegal”.

Following the original admission, Phillip sat down with Amol Rajan to discuss his mental health.

He told the BBC in a tell-all interview that the “constant” and “relentless” coverage of the scandal was having an adverse effect on him and that he believed he had “lost everything”.

After news of Phillip’s affair hit the headlines, Holly made a statement revealing that she was “hurt” as her ex-colleague had previously lied to her about the affair rumours.

On her Instagram stories she wrote: “When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not.

“It’s been very hurtful to now find out this was a lie.”

Holly is due to return to presenting the ITV show tomorrow morning alongside Josie Gibson.