As if the much-discussed ‘toxic culture’ of This Morning wasn’t bad enough.
Now the spikey atmosphere seems to be spreading across ITV as Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden put a diamante-studded stiletto into another of the network’s biggest stars, Holly Willoughby.
Yesterday morning, Amanda, 52 – dressed all in white with a golden tan – asked her social media followers: “Are you OK?”
A day earlier, Holly – dressed all in white with a golden tan – had asked This Morning viewers the same question before addressing the recent departure of her co-host, Phillip Schofield.
Amanda then went on to repeat the ‘Are you OK?’ gag on Heart radio.
So what can it all mean? What lies behind Amanda’s mickey-taking of ITV’s once perma-golden girl Holly?
A spokesman for Amanda said yesterday: “Amanda has always made it clear in the past she has no issues with Holly. Today’s video has been taken completely out of context.”
But perhaps Amanda’s well-known bad feeling towards Phillip reached to his former sofa partner too.
Amanda stepped in for Holly, 40, during her maternity leave in 2014, which she “loved”.
But the following year, Phillip, 61, made it clear he had enjoyed it slightly less, saying: “She kept me on my toes.
“She forgets she’s on the telly, which is endearing but occasionally quite scary.”
In 2018, Amanda was earmarked to stand in for Holly once again.
But reports claimed Phillip requested Rochelle Humes instead because he found her easier to “manage” on air. ITV said: “Final decisions are made by producers, not presenters.”
Last year, Amanda praised David Beckham for “getting in line” to see the Queen lying in state, while Phillip and Holly were criticised for using media passes to avoid the 12-hour wait.
And when Phillip left This Morning last month, Amanda seemed to celebrate his exit by posting a bicep emoji.
