Phillip Schofield announced he was leaving This Morning “with immediate effect” after reports of a growing rift with his co-host Holly Willoughby. It has now been claimed that the 61-year-old will receive six months’ wages from This Morning following his departure.
A source also claims that the presenter, who hosted the ITV show for 21 years, feels he has been shown “zero respect” and is “devastated” to be leaving the programme.
They told The Sun: “He thinks the way he was forced to step down was so unjust and he feels completely broken by how this situation has been handled.
“This Morning was Phil’s life and now he feels he has been knifed without proper consultation… Phil has dedicated over 20 years to that show and for it all to end this way has been incredibly upsetting for him.”
Express.co.uk has contacted ITV and Phillip’s representative for comment.
Phil confirmed he was stepping down on Saturday after mounting speculation about his future on the programme.
In a post shared to Instagram, he lamented: “I have always been proud to cover fascinating stories on This Morning. But recently, This Morning itself has become the story.
“Throughout my career in TV – including the very difficult last few days – I have always done my best to be honourable and kind. I understand that ITV has decided the current situation can’t go on, and I want to do what I can to protect the show that I love.
“So I have agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect, in the hope that the show can move forward to a bright future.”
Despite his departure from the mid-morning show, Phillip will continue to work for ITV with a “brand new peak time series” and the British Soap Awards next month.
Kevin Lygo, ITV’s managing director, said: “Phillip is hands down one of the best broadcasters of his generation and we thank him for his two decades worth of absolutely terrific television on the This Morning sofa.“
Holly also released a statement, saying that “the sofa won’t feel the same without him”.
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