Philip Schofield made his debut in the Broom Cupboard on BBC in the 80s and since then, the silver fox has been a permanent fixture on screens across the country. The presenter, 61, has fronted a host of shows, including Going Live, Schofield's Quest, The Cube, Test the Nation - as well as a series about remarkable coincidences called One in a Million.
With his infectious energy and slick delivery, it was a given that the father-of-two was among ITV's pick of presenters, reports the Mirror. In 2002, he became the face of This Morning alongside Fern Britton, after John Leslie was given the boot.
The pair would often lark about on screen, collapsing into fits of giggles while Phil smiled warmly at the camera. However, Fern made a shock exit from the show in 2009, with sources stating that she was "sick of living in her co-star's shadow".
So, after sensationally quitting This Morning amid reports of a feud with co-star Holly Willoughby, we take a look at where it all went wrong for the former king of daytime TV...
Fall out with Fern
It's believed Fern and Phil's relationship ended after her friends claimed she felt "undervalued by ITV" and she was "living in Phil's shadow". In his autobiography, Life Is What You Make It, Phil addressed a blazing row he had with Fern, which he believes was the last straw.
He said he argued with Fern in a makeup room in 2009 over the content of a show – and was "stunned" when she accused him of "meddling." The frost reportedly thawed between the pair, but when Phil and Holly were accused of jumping the queue to see the late Queen lying in state last year, Fern quipped: "There’s a VIP line?", leading fans to believe she still wasn't a fan of Phil's.
Fern then got tongues wagging when she tweeted she'd had an interesting catch-up with former This Morning host Eamonn Holmes, who is also not Phil's biggest fan.
Tension with Ruth and Eamonn
Phillip Schofield appeared to cut Ruth Langsford off in 2019 whilst she was introducing the Loose Women line-up, leaving the 63-year-old visibly hurt and shocked. Just as she was wrapping up, Phil cut across her, prompting Ruth to point out she was 'just about to finish.'
The presenter's husband, Eamonn, defended his wife, saying he "felt sorry for her". He told the Daily Mail: "Phillip is renowned for snubbing people. He’s very passive-aggressive. It’s up to Ruth to say how she felt, but I was feeling hurt for her. No one would have snubbed me like that."
Eamonn also thinks Phil and Holly should win an award for "best actors". He said on GB News: "The public surely will suss that there's no chemistry, that it's a broken fit between the two of them and that This Morning does not depend on who presents it."
Amanda Holden dig
Amanda Holden and Phil's relationship was allegedly strained after she missed out on presenting This Moring while Holly Willoughby was in Australia hosting I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!
She told Heart co-host Jamie Theakston that three things she'd never want to find in her home were "spiders, flies and Phillip Schofield."
Talking about Amanda to Heat magazine, Phil said: "She has a faulty edit button and she forgets she's on telly, which is enormously endearing and funny, but occasionally, quite scary."
ITV star calls Phil 'cruel' and 'brutal'
I'm A Celeb star and TV personality Kim Woodburn also took a dig at the former This Morning host. The cleaning guru branded the father-of-two a "cruel, brutal little man" in a damning statement.
Speaking about being interviewed on This Morning, she told GB News: "I went on his show and he insulted me, he was rude, he was horrible. He was laughing at me, he was actually snickering at me. He should not be on television, he's a cruel, brutal little man and he's full of himself."
Phil's brother's shocking trial
Philip's brother Timothy was recently found guilty for sexually abusing a teenage boy over a period of three years. After washing his hands of his brother, Phil made a comeback to the ITV daytime show, which he usually hosts with Holly.
However, Holly was reportedly kept in the dark about the trial, leading Phil to release an impromptu statement about his relationship with his co-star.
Sudden statement making things worse
Phil and Holly have been the face of This Morning for years, but it recently arose that their off-screen friendship had "cooled off". It prompted Phil to issue a statement where he admitted that "the last few weeks haven't been easy for either" of them and he has always been grateful for the support of Holly and everyone around him.
However, sources claimed neither Holly nor ITV knew about the sudden statement, which made the situation worse.
One said: “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. While there was a bit of noise and speculation about their relationship cooling, it could have easily been ignored."
'Feud' with Holly
Holly and Phil aren't on speaking terms off camera, it has been claimed. Insiders say Holly and Phil’s relationship has been "tense for months" and they recently avoided each other at pal Keith Lemon’s 50th birthday party.
With the support of her husband TV producer Dan Baldwin, sources say Holly is looking to branch out on her own and has realised she no longer needs Phil as her sidekick.
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