Why is the rift between Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield so diverting? Maybe you don’t find it so. Maybe current affairs interest you in direct proportion to their importance. If so, you’re lucky. For most of us, the dry detail and/or savage tragedy of momentous issues drive our minds towards triviality. I have never grasped what’s happening in Syria or why to be scared about China, so this week I’ve been digging into what’s going on with Holly and Phil.
This is not what the two people involved want. That’s one thing they would still agree on. These are not circumstances where those at the centre of a furore are feeding off it and enjoying it, like Piers Morgan or Ryanair. Having resigned as co-presenter of This Morning (and subsequently from ITV), Schofield will want the story to go away. The things he has come to prominence saying on television are too bland to be noticed if the viewers are all speculating on whether he’s a nightmare to work with. Similarly, as she continues on the show, Willoughby’s ability to seem sympathetic and relatable for two and a half hours every morning will be compromised by a lingering aura of anger and ruthlessness.
