Phillip Schofield has addressed his friendship with co-star Holly Willoughby after claims all was not as it seemed.
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 on Thursday's episode of This Morning and put on a united front in a bid to silence any claims.
Now, Phillip, 61, has addressed the claims in an attempt to win over his pal again.
The TV presenter has continually described Holly as his "rock" during some of the most turbulent times in his life.
In a new interview, Phillip explained that Holly is always at his beck and calls when he needs somebody to talk to about his personal troubles.
Speaking to The Sun, he pleaded: "The last few weeks haven't been easy for either of us. My family went through a real ordeal.
"And Holly's support throughout meant the world to me, as did the support of my bosses at ITV, my editor Martin Frizell and the whole This Morning family, including our amazing viewers."
Phillip explained that Holly, 42, had been his pal through "thick and thin".
Meanwhile, a source claimed it was "desperate stuff" from Phillip 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.
Last year, Holly and Phil told The Mirror that they feel "at ease" with one another - both when they're presenting This Morning and also when they work on other shows together, including the likes of Dancing On Ice.
Holly said: "They're different shows and that's what's nice about it. There's a real ease when we work together. It's not like you're going in like, oh we need to find our feet or rhythm, it's an absolute given. It's nice to be doing something a bit different but still together."
Phil agreed, as he called Holly his "best mate", adding: "The lovely thing is, I get to spend even more time with my best mate. It's lovely and I adore Holly completely and absolutely and so to be able to joke around together, it's great."
The Mirror approached Phillip's representatives for further comment.
