Those tuning into the BAFTA TV Awards claimed there was 'so much shade' as Joe Lycett was among those to reference the current 'feud' between Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
The This Morning favourites are reportedly in crisis after reports began to circulate that the pair were 'barely speaking' behind the scenes. It was claimed that Phillip's pre-planned absence from the programme last month around his brother’s sex abuse trial contributed to a "cooling" of his friendship with Holly.
But last week, the 61-year-old issued an unexpected statement, with Phillip telling The Sun: "As I have said before, Holly is my rock. We’re the best of friends – as always, she is an incredible support on screen, behind the scenes and on the phone.
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"Holly has always been there for me, through thick and thin. And I’ve been there for her." He added: "The last few weeks haven’t been easy for either of us."
Comedian Joe, who did not attend the Bafta TV awards ceremony on Sunday, took home the features award for his special, Joe Lycett Vs Beckham: Got Your Back At Xmas, which covered the controversy surrounding the World Cup that was being hosted in Qatar.
The Channel 4 special of his consumer affairs programme featured a stunt in which he threatened to destroy £10,000 of his own money unless David Beckham pulled out of his deal with the World Cup host country, where homosexuality is still illegal. The 34-year-old later revealed he had not destroyed the cash through a shredder and had actually donated the sum to LGBT+ charities.
But while not there in person, Joe provided a speech to be read out on his behalf, which claimed his PR team told him he has shingles. It appeared to reference Holly's absence from This Morning last month where she took a week off the show due to the illness following a two-week Easter break which followed Phillip's week-long absence from the popular daytime show.
Producer James Kirkwood accepted the award on Joe's behalf after he was honoured. Reading Joe's message from his phone James said: "Joe said, 'I’m sorry to not be there, but according to my PR [public relations] team I have shingles.'" Following laughter from the audience, Joe went on to thank the people he'd worked with.
And the remarks didn't pass viewers by. @MisterVivian tweeted: "'According to my PR team I have shingles' another dig at Holly and Phil #BAFTATVAwards so much shade tonight." @mrlukerobinson posted: "Oh @joelycett 'Sorry I can’t be there… according to my PR team I've got shingles!' #BAFTATVAwards." @tomjamesclark wrote: "The shingles PR joke #BAFTATVAwards," alongside crying emojis.
It came after hosts Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan also poked fun at the TV pair. With two comedians at the helm, there was bound to be some cheeky humour at the 2023 British Academy Television Awards, and they certainly delivered. Minutes after they took to the stage at the Royal Festival Hall in London the pair were making jokes at the expense of their fellow TV stars.
The hosts made a dig over the furore over Holly and Phillip’s visit to the late Queen Elizabeth II lying in state as they hosted the star-studded bash. Rob and Romesh, who presented the glitzy ceremony screened on BBC One for the first time, described the joke as 'edgy.'
"As we all know this year, there have been one or two issues with the subject of the BBC and balance," Rob said. "It’s not easy for comedians to host an award show on the BBC. We need to be funny. We need to be professional and also offer balanced views. This booking is perfect for balance. ‘I see a room filled with some of the hardest working and most talented people in TV all driven by a passion and a love for their craft."
But Romesh jokingly added: "Whereas I see a roomful of shark-eyed narcissists." The pair then said in unison: "Balance.." Gesturing to Imelda Staunton, nominated for Best Actress for her role as the late Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, Rob joked: "She’s nominated for her performance in The Crown. Apparently, Holly and Phil got to watch that a couple of days before everybody else. A little bit of edge for you, early doors."
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