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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zoe Delaney

BBC comedian takes cheeky swipe at Holly and Phil as fans support This Morning duo

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were mocked on last night's edition of Have I Got News For You, as the drama surrounding queue-gate continues to rumble on.

Comedian Paul Merton took a cheeky swipe at the This Morning presenter, almost a week on from the two stars being falsely accused of skipping the lengthy queue to see the late Queen Elizabeth II lying in state at Westminster Hall prior to her state funeral on Monday [19 September].

The duo have faced a public petition calling for them to be sacked as presenters of This Morning and have been trolled mercilessly since the footage showed them being taken through to Westminster Hall to film a segment for the ITV show, as thousands waited for hours in the queue outside.

Despite This Morning quickly issuing a statement clarifying that the two stars 'did not jump the queue, have VIP access or file past the Queen lying in state' and were there purely for work reasons, that hasn't stopped many on social media to continue to joke about about the situation - with Have I Got News For You star Paul joining in on Friday [September 23].

The moment Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were falsely accused of queue jumping last week (ITV)

As the comedian looked at the now-infamous picture of Holly and Phil at Westminster Hall, Paul cheekily quipped: "She is wearing a mask because clearly she is allergic to Phillip Schofield."

Host Richard Ayoade added: "This is the national scandal over the queue for the Lying-in-State. It’s the biggest thing that’s happened.

"ITV’s Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield apparently just appeared in Westminster Hall on Sunday…"

Roisin Conaty quickly interrupted, joking: "Just appeared? Like a haunting?"

"Exactly," Richard replied, adding: "Without having spent the previous 36 hours queuing."

Despite taking a battering online, the tide seems to be turning regarding queue-gate - with fans seeming to rush to Holly's defence and support the mum-of-three on social media.

Phil has been losing fans on social media, but Holly has seen a boost across her channels (ITV)

A viral post featuring a snap of Holly smiling alongside late TV presenter Caroline Flack did the rounds on social media earlier this week, with the original poster reminding people to 'Be Kind' with the comments they make on the internet.

Holly has also been supported by M&S amid the scandal, with the retailer confirming the presenter will remain the face of their brand going forward.

Phil seemingly hasn't had as much luck, with his face being quietly removed from the We Buy Any Car social media accounts - a company he has worked with on TV and online adverts over recent months.

Speaking about queue-gate earlier this week, a TV source told The Mirror: "The abuse has been nothing short of disgusting, not least as they have done nothing wrong and were fully entitled to media accreditation so they could inform their viewers.”

They added: "She [Holly] adores her job and would never quit. The whole experience has been totally brutal but one thing has remained constant, and that’s been ITV’s unwavering support."

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