Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby "ignored the elephant in the room" as they returned to the This Morning sofa. In hotly-anticipated scenes, the pair of presenters, who have worked alongside one another on the daytime ITV show since 2009, welcomed viewers to the Monday morning edition of the show this morning, May 15.
Phil and Holly dominated the headlines last week as rumours of their alleged feud rumbled on. The Mirror reported yesterday that 60-year-old Phil was keen to "tough it out" with his co-star after it was claimed that ITV were prepared to axe him from the show if viewers "no longer believe in the chemistry" between him and Holly.
Last week, Phil addressed such rumours in a statement, in which he referred to Holly as his "rock" following a difficult time in his personal life after his brother, Timothy, was found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage boy over a period of three years. The presenter asserted that he and Holly remain "the best of friends".
Read more: ITV confirms Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield to remain on This Morning
As Phil and Holly's future at ITV is speculated by viewers, the pair returned to our screens at 10am this morning, with members of the public tuning in, ready to analyse their interactions. Welcoming viewers back after a dramatic weekend, Phil and Holly quickly sat down with regular guests Gyles Brandreth and Camilla Tominey to discuss the latest headlines.
Whilst Phil and Holly chatted at length about today's pressing issues, viewers were quick to spot that they appeared to be avoiding the "elephant in the room" - their falling out - which has, arguably, been one of the biggest news stories as of late. On Twitter, some viewers pointed out some of the front pages of newspapers in the last few days as they questioned why the duo were avoiding the rumours.
Mark tweeted: "Honestly, watching Camilla Tominey and Gyles Brandreth dodge the elephant in the room is painful. Where is Matthew Wright when you need him? #ThisMorning"
"Today is the first time I've watched live tv in weeks (unless you count crafting channels) and it’s to watch Phil & Holly dodging the elephant in the room when discussing the weekends news," Samantha said.
Steve Lowe wrote: "This elephant’s so big, it could fill the f***ing room."
The show comes after last night's BAFTAs ceremony, which saw host Rob Beckett make a joke at Phil and Holly's expense. As the comic drew attention to Imelda Staunton in the audience, he joked that the This Morning presenters "got to watch [The Crown] a couple of days before everyone else", earning some winces from the guests.
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