This Morning has spoken out in defence of its two main presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield after they have come under heavy criticism for 'jumping the queue' to see the Queen lying in state. The hosting duo were seen filing past Queen Elizabeth II's coffin on Friday (September 16).
The previous day, while hosting the ITV daytime show, the pair confirmed they would not be on air on Friday and return on Tuesday (September 20) where they would reflect on the Queen's state funeral. As the show would usually air, at around 10am, Holly, 41, and Phillip, 60 were spotted in Westminster Hall.
Their appearance came as hundred of thousands of people joined the queue to pay their final respects to the Queen with well-wishers waiting anything from a few to 24 hours to pay their respects to the late monarch. Holly and Phil made their way into the historic building to view the late monarch's coffin which is being seen by the public 24//7 until early Monday morning before her state funeral.
Phillip was seen being filmed on the BBC News live stream of Westminster Hall at around 10am. He opted to wear a smart black suit and tie for the visit, with the presenter sporting a sombre look on his face as he followed behind his co-star.
Holly appeared in front of her friend and colleague and at one point was seen looking back with tears filling her eyes. The mum-of-three looked elegant in a black dress with silver button detailing along the front. She tied her long blonde locks back with a black scrunchie and wore a matching black mask. ITV News' Mary Nightingale could also be seen behind them.
But as pictures of the pair circulated, they came under fire for avoiding queuing like everyone else. It came after Good Morning Britain's Susanna Reid queued for several hours with her mum, Sue, on Thursday evening and prior to David Beckham being discovered among the crowds after joining the line at 2am. He eventually paid an emotional tribute more than 12 hours later.
This Morning has now insisted that Phillip and Holly did not "jump the queue" for the Queen’s lying in state and were there to report on the event as media.
A statement on the programme’s Instagram account said: “Hello everyone, we would like to clarify something. We asked Phillip and Holly to be part of a film for this Tuesday’s programme. They did not jump the queue, have VIP access or file past the Queen lying in state – but instead were there in a professional capacity as part of the world’s media to report on the event."
As members of the public stand in line for hours to see the Queen lying in state, a rule allowing MPs and peers to skip the queue along with up to four guests. It allows their guests to bypass the miles-long queue, which was temporarily paused on Friday due to overwhelming demand from people eager to catch a glimpse of the Queen’s coffin.
Most Parliamentary staff can also avoid the line and bring one guest. Former Manchester United and England footballer David is said to have turned down the opportunity to avoid the mammoth queue.
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