Earlier this week, Phillip Schofield issued an extraordinary statement admitting that “the last few weeks haven’t been easy” for himself and Holly Willoughby amid reports that the This Morning presenters are “not as close” as they once were.
Insiders have now claimed that neither Holly nor ITV knew about the unexpected statement and believe it has made the situation worse.
A source told The Mirror: “While there was a bit of noise and speculation about their relationship cooling, it could have easily been ignored.
“By putting this statement out there, he has turned what was a manageable situation into a feeding frenzy. If viewers now no longer believe in the pair, and make their views clear next week, make no mistake, ITV will act.
After releasing his statement, ITV allegedly held crisis talks about Phil’s future on the daytime show, according to MailOnline.
It was also reported that Holly had sought guidance from her husband, Dan Baldwin, about her own future following the shift in the friendship.
ITV have not yet confirmed whether the duo will be presenting This Morning as usual on Monday.
Phillip recently took time off as his brother Timothy was convicted of child sex offences.
The aforementioned publication claimed that Holly was “deeply upset” about being kept in the dark about the trial and only found out when Phil took time off.
A source alleged: “Holly had to find out from someone else which must have been awful for her. She has been so loyal to him.
“They have been through so much together, some happy and some really tough.
“But now their once super close friendship is no longer.”
The pair were last seen together presenting Thursday’s This Morning and many viewers took to social media after spotting “tension” between the duo.
It was reported on the same day that they now “barely speak” off camera and issues have “rumbled for some time”, a source claimed to The Sun.
Express.co.uk has contacted Holly’s representatives and ITV for comment.
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