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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
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Saffron Otter

Phillip Schofield and Amanda Holden's feud timeline - 'Rochelle snub and TV showdown'

Amanda Holden has made it clear that she isn't Phillip Schofield's number one fan - and has continued to take swipes at the disgraced This Morning presenter amid his downfall.

After months of speculation of an ongoing feud with his co-star Holly Willoughby, Phillip announced his departure from ITV last week with 'immediate effect'.

In a bombshell statement, he later admitted that he had lied to bosses about an affair with a younger production assistant on the show - which he described as 'unwise but not illegal'.

Although Amanda hasn't directly commented on the unfolding events, unlike other stars from the daytime show, the Britain's Got Talent judge has made her thoughts known about Phillip following their famous 2018 'fallout.'

Here, we take a look at the timeline of their contentious relationship...

Amanda loved working on This Morning (Getty Images)
She covered Holly's maternity leave in 2014 (Ken McKay/REX)

Amanda, along with Christine Bleakey, filled in as a guest presenter on This Morning in 2014 when Holly Willoughby went on maternity leave.

The Heart Breakfast radio host took over from October to January before she went off to film Britain's Got Talent auditions - then returned again in the last few months.

And it wasn't the first time she had worked with Phil - they'd previously hosted The Sun's Military Awards together.

At the time, Phil tweeted: "Really looking forward to working with lovely @Amanda_Holden again. She's standing in for @hollywills for some of her maternity leave..."

Once on the This Morning sofa, Amanda received a warm welcome from viewers while the pair shared a lot of on-air banter, mostly down to their shared fondness for an innuendo.

When it was time to leave, Amanda said: "I have to say it's been one of the happiest years of my life. I know it sounds dramatic but I've absolutely loved it."

But in 2015 when Phillip was asked how he found working with her, he told Heat magazine: "She kept me on my toes.

"She has a faulty edit button and she forgets she's on the telly, which is enormously endearing and funny, but occasionally quite scary."

Three years later is when it all seemingly went downhill.

Holly Willoughby was flown off to the Australian jungle to present I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! leaving her space on prime daytime TV available.

Reports suggested Amanda thought she was set to replace Holly, but the offer was reportedly withdrawn last minute.

According to The Sun, Amanda lost out on the chance because of Phil.

Sources claimed she was the frontrunner, but was blocked by the TV stalwart, who apparently favoured Rochelle Humes because she was 'easier to manage'.

The Saturdays star already had experience presenting for the show alongside her husband Marvin in 2015, and had been one of the fashion experts.

A former daytime television executive told The Sun: "Phillip actively campaigned for Rochelle Humes to get the job despite Amanda being more experienced - and having been told privately she'd got the gig."

Amanda has made a few digs live on air (Heart Radio)
Phillip Schofield has now left ITV and This Morning (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

However an ITV spokesperson denied the claims, and released a statement of support for Phil, outlining that all hiring decisions are made by producers, not presenters.

The statement read: "It's deeply disappointing and unfair for Phillip to be the target of this sort of malicious gossip.

"Phillip is a much-respected broadcaster and colleague and this is absolutely not a description of This Morning that we recognise."

Furthermore, Amanda is said to have confronted Phil about the apparent snub during an ad break when she appeared on the show to discuss the heartbreaking stillbirth of her son.

Phil was apparently "lost for words" amid the showdown, but neither star offered any further comment at the time.

A few months later in 2019, Amanda made her feelings clear when she made a cutting joke about her nemesis during a radio quiz with Heart Breakfast.

Asked what she wouldn't want to find in her house, she quipped: "Spiders, flies and Phillip Schofield."

Dermot O'Leary is Amanda's choice to replace Phil (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Further reports of a feud sparked when The Sun claimed Amanda had made a formal complaint to ITV boss Kevin Lygo about the hiring fiasco.

Phil also addressed the speculation on Twitter, saying: "The end of another really sad weekend.

"When you try for 35 years to be the easiest, most fun person to work with and you read such hurtful and wildly untrue stories from nameless 'sources'.

"Obviously I'll take it on the chin..I just hope you know me better."

Speaking to her Heart radio co-host Jamie Theakston, Amanda then said she asked Phil to meet for coffee to clear the air in 2019 but was met with no response.

And now amid Phil's downfall, Amanda has continued to throw swipes at the disgraced presenter.

Just minutes after he stepped down from This Morning, she shared an uncaptioned image of a flexed bicep emoji.

And earlier this week, Amanda revealed who she would love to see taking his place on This Morning - a move which some fans found 'distasteful' given the fact the former presenter has only been gone a few days.

Amanda admitted that she is backing Dermot O'Leary to fill Phil's shoes, and thinks he would be the perfect person to present alongside Holly.

And during her radio show last Thursday, when Amanda and co-star Jamie Theakston were trying to guess This Morning star Craig Doyle's age, she also agreed he would make a great replacement.

When Jamie asked Amanda if she thought the Irish TV presenter could fill in as a permanent presenter, she replied: "Oh, the big one wow!… Yes, I think him and Alison do a great job don't they."

The Mirror has approached Amanda's representative for a comment.

Phillip Schofield declined to comment.

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