This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield could be fronting his last ever show in just a matter of weeks if his contract is not renewed by ITV bosses.
Rumours of discord behind the scenes have been rampant in recent months after sources claimed Phil and co-host Holly Willoughby were no longer seeing eye to eye.
Fuel was further added to the fire when he appeared to address their friendship troubles saying “the last few weeks haven't been easy for either of us.”
He said: "The last few weeks haven’t been easy for either of us," the 61 year old said. "As I have said before, Holly is my rock.
"We’re the best of friends – as always, she is an incredible support on screen, behind the scenes and on the phone."
Phillip added to The Sun : "Holly has always been there for me, through thick and thin. And I’ve been there for her."
Sources claimed neither Holly nor ITV knew about the sudden statement.
"Phil’s contract is up for renewal at the end of this year and as it stands, there are a number of people working on the show who think it’s time for a shake-up," the source claimed.
Insiders say replacements are already being lined up to host the show if Phillip’s contract is not renewed, speculating that the long time presenter’s last day could be in a matter of weeks.
The presenters usually take the summer off to spend time with their families, particularly Holly who has three young children.
In the past the long-time friends have holidayed together although another source revealed the two have reportedly cancelled their annual trips this year.
Due to the set summer holidays the pair usually take, if Phil’s contract isn’t renewed for another season, it could result in his final show being in just a few weeks time in July.
Meanwhile, a source claimed Phil's statement was "desperate stuff" given the current state of their relationship.
It comes after sources claimed Holly was prepared to front This Morning alone, should Phillip leave the programme.
Sources explained that their frosty relationship is clear to see for those around the pair in the TV studio and is completely different to how they appear on TV.
The pair have fronted shows including Dancing On Ice and This Morning together for several years and outside of work have maintained a close friendship.
However, in recent months, sources have suggested that the best friends are not "as close as they once were".
Despite the claims, they appeared alongside one another during last week’s instalments of This Morning and put on a united front in a bid to silence any claims.
Mirror has reached out to Phillip Schofield's representatives for comment
