Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield put on a brave face in the wake of feud rumours as they returned to present This Morning together on Monday.
ITV confirmed on Sunday that the pair would be fulfilling their presenting duties side-by-side on the sofa this week as usual, following recent reports of a rift between the pair. Speaking to The Sun newspaper, an insider claimed that Holly and Phil's close friendship had "cooled" behind the scenes, with the pair said to be "barely speaking" off-air.
They added: "Before there would be a lot of banter and camaraderie off camera but that has dwindled." The source also claimed Holly had "made it clear" she would want to stay on This Morning if Phil were to depart the show in the future - but Phil appeared to rubbish reports of a fall-out in a statement issued on Friday.
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The 61-year-old presenter told 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.
"Holly has always been there for me, through thick and thin. And I've been there for her. The last few weeks haven't been easy for either of us," he added.
But despite Phil confirming that the pair remain close, some This Morning fans confessed that they were planning to tune into Monday's episode to see whether the rift claims would be addressed. One viewer wrote on Twitter: "Going to watch the opening minutes of This Morning just to see if Holly and Phil make a statement or announce their TV divorce."
"Tuning in for the tension between Phil and Holly," someone else remarked. But the tension was nowhere to be seen in the opening moments of This Morning, with the pair smiling and joking together as they welcomed viewers to Monday's episode.
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