Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby were once thought of as one the UK’s most dynamic TV duos, alongside Ant and Dec and Mel and Sue.
But ever since Schofield’s shock revelation in May 2023 about his extramarital affair with a younger male co-worker — and his subsequent resignation from ITV — it's safe to say that the pair's long friendship has soured.
Schofield recently reappeared on our screens in a poorly received Channel 5 reality TV show Cast Away, where he appeared to mock his former co-host. Rumours of Schofield and Willoughby’s friendship breakdown have been fuelled further by reports of heated text exchanges and Schofield reportedly referring to his ex-BFF as “the witch” to close friends.
Here’s how the pair’s friendship flourished on our TV screens and has reportedly since crumbled.
January 2006: Dancing On Ice
Schofield and Willoughby first appeared on television together as co-presenters of ITV’s celebrity ice skating competition Dancing On Ice in January 2006. They hosted the show for 12 series until Schofield’s departure after he revealed his affair.
September 2009: This Morning
After hosting the iconic daytime show alongside Fern Britton for seven years, Willoughby became Schofield’s on-screen partner in September 2009 following Britton’s resignation. Schofield told the Sun in 2017 that he encouraged producers to hire Willoughby after his positive experience working with her on Dancing On Ice. They went on to co-host the show for more than 13 years.
January 2016: Viral NTA all-nighter
One of the most memorable moments from the duo’s This Morning stint was after the 2016 National Television Awards. They hosted the show in their clothes from the night before, visibly hungover and in fits of laughter. “I haven’t been home yet, I came straight here,” Willoughby said.
Other famous moments include their carbonara banter with chef Gino D’Acampo; their hysterics over inappropriate children’s drawings; and renowned interviews with Katie Hopkins, Kim Woodburn and then-prime minister Boris Johnson.
February 2020: Schofield comes out as gay
Shortly after coming out as gay via a statement on Instagram, Schofield — who had then been married to wife Stephanie Schofield for nearly 27 years — featured in a special segment of This Morning in conversation with “best friend” Willoughby. She comforted him as he broke down in tears. “I’ve never been more proud of my friend than I am today,” Willoughby said. “Whatever happens in the future, I’ll be sat by your side... I’ll be by your side forever and ever,” she told Schofield as she pulled him in for a hug.
Schofield told The Times Magazine in 2021 that he was lucky to have had the “therapy” of Willoughby’s friendship to help him come out publicly. He attributed their success on the show to them being “best friends”.
September 2022: Queuegate
Over two years later, the pair faced widespread public criticism when rumours spread online that they cut the queue for Queen Elizabeth II’s lying-in-state. Pictured on a live stream in the hall, mourners — some of whom queued for up to 24 hours — argued that the pair skipped the queue, while other celebrities including David Beckham had queued with members of the public.
“Like hundreds of accredited broadcasters and journalists we were given official permission to access the hall,” Willoughby said of the accusations on This Morning. “None of the broadcasters and journalists there took anyone’s placed in the queue and no one filed past the Queen. We of course respected those rules.”
Despite their response, more than 75,000 people signed a petition calling for the duo to be sacked from This Morning because of ‘Queuegate’.
May 2023: Rumours of a rift swirl
In April, Schofield’s brother, Timothy, was found guilty of 11 child sex offences, with Schofield absent from his hosting duties during the trial. “As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother,” Schofield said following the verdict.
Alleging that the pair had drifted and “barely speak” off camera, the Sun reported that Willoughby had distanced herself from Schofield following his brother’s trial. It added that she was unaware of the charges he faced until she found out from another source.
Schofield responded to the paper dismissing the claims and called Willoughby his “rock”.
He added: “We are the best of friends — as always, she is an incredible support on screen, behind the scenes and on the phone.”
This wasn’t the first time rumours of a rift between the two had swirled. Willoughby co-hosted I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2018, with Schofield admitting he was jealous. Sources claimed that Schofield was unhappy about the attention she received. However, both parties denied any tension and continued to co-host This Morning.
May 2023: Schofield’s affair comes to light
Following months of speculation concerning his private life, Schofield confirmed on May 20 that he was stepping down from hosting This Morning with “immediate effect”. In a noticeably short statement, Willoughby responded to the news on Instagram: “It’s been over 13 great years presenting This Morning with Phil and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for all of his knowledge, his experience, and his humour.”
Six days later, Schofield released a statement on Instagram in which he admitted to having a “consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning. He said this was “unwise, but not illegal”.
He apologised to ITV, his colleagues and friends for lying about the affair.
After the news broke, Willoughby said she was among the friends Schofield had lied to. “When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not. It’s been very hurtful to find out that was a lie,” her statement read.
June 2023: Willoughby says she feels “let down” by Schofield
In a highly anticipated interview with the BBC, Schofield said he texted Willoughby to apologise for lying the day the news broke — but she didn’t reply.
Shortly afterwards, Willoughby returned to This Morning following a short break, welcoming viewers with a much-memed introduction: “Firstly, are you OK? It feels very strange indeed sitting here without Phil.”
She said she was left feeling “worried, shaken, troubled, let down and full of questions,” following Schofield’s revelation.
Four months later, the pair unfollowed each other on social media and Willoughby quit the show, following the arrest of a man thought to be plotting to kidnap and murder her. “I now feel I have to make this decision for me and my family,” she said.
October 2024: Cast Away and witch comments
Having disappeared from the public eye for a while, Schofield reappeared in Cast Away, where viewers noticed potential jibes made towards Willoughby. In one episode, he asked the camera: “Are you okay?” (which some people interpreted as him mocking her This Morning intro). In another, he referred to “three s***s in showbiz,” of which Willoughby — and her husband Daniel Baldwin — are suspected to be among.
Willoughby reportedly did not watch Schofield’s television return. She allegedly never wants to speak to him again after it was reported that he refers to her as “the witch” to close friends and blames her for his downfall.
A source told the Sun: “He dislikes Holly so much now that he calls her ‘the witch’ when talking about her and sends the emoji to his friends if her name comes up.”
According to the source, Schofield was surprised when Willoughby didn’t publicly defend him after his scandal. The day before he stepped down from This Morning, he allegedly messaged her on WhatsApp saying: “You brought me down.”
Another source close to Schofield told the Mirror that he believed “a simple gesture from her could have saved his job”, but her refusal to sealed his fate.
Willoughby reportedly told him she didn’t want to “feed the narrative” and that ITV bosses allegedly told her not to comment publicly.
