After first appearing on our screens back in 1988, beloved daytime TV show This Morning has seen numerous fallouts and dramatic revelations, and it's easy to assume you may have seen it all. But members of the public have been gripped by the latest instalment of chaos in the last week, which has dominated headlines and been at the front of all viewers' minds.
When Phillip Schofield first joined the This Morning family in 2002, he starred alongside Fern Britton, who was replaced by Holly Willoughby when she left the show in 2009. The pair of presenters are believed to have had an explosive falling out, with Phil admitting that he had a heated argument with Fern in a dressing room, 12 months after it came to light that she'd had a gastric band fitted whilst she was the face of Ryvita, The Mirror reports.
A few years later, Phil found himself the subject of Ofcom complaints and being scrutinised by journalists with his "list of pedophiles" slip-up. As he presented the list to the then-Prime Minister David Cameron, Phil was clueless to the fact that viewers could make out some of the names on it, causing Tory MP Rob Wilson to report ITV to Ofcom for allegedly failing to give the subjects of an allegation opportunity to respond.
Then, there was Phil's tearful coming out on national television in February 2020, which saw him confess to viewers that he was gay after 27 years of marriage to his wife, Stephanie. Rightly seen as a watershed moment, Phil received an outpouring of support following his personal confession.
A few years later, and there has been an unprecedented amount of drama to hit the This Morning sofa, dividing both the presenters that sit upon it, their peers, and the viewers that tune in on weekday mornings. It's been a rollercoaster eight months, from the "Queuegate" scandal, to Phil's brother Timothy being found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage boy, and, now, an alleged feud between Holly and Phil.
The once-beloved household name duo have had their friendship, or, allegedly, lack of, severely scrutinised by viewers and the press in the past week. The Mirror reports that, whilst ITV has always supported Phil through all the ups and downs, they would have preferred for him not to have released a statement about his supposed feud with his co-star.
ITV reportedly thought that Phil had given the rumours credibility by addressing them, and were unhappy that they had not been informed about the on-the-hoof PR move before it happened. There were also concerns that Phil's decision could damage the show's strong reputation.
A source told The Mirror: "This Morning's relationship with its viewers is built on trust, and they have to believe that Holly and Phil's friendship, and what they're watching, is real."
The insider claimed that, if viewers no longer believed that, then ITV would have a difficult decision on their hands, and would, potentially, have to get rid of Phil. Another told The Mirror: "This is a PR disaster totally of his own making.
"The whole thing beggars belief."
As members of the public have taken aim at Phil on social media, he decided to take matters into his own hands by asserting that Holly was his "rock" and that they remain the "best of friends" in his statement, which he released last week. It has been argued that Phil attempted to take control of the rumours by admitting that recent times "haven't been easy" for either of them.
The recent drama has led to some colleagues becoming concerned for Phil, with one telling The Mirror: "He is becoming increasingly withdrawn and almost a shell of himself.
"He seems down and spends a lot of time in his dressing room. We’re worried about him."
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