What happened between Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby? Their friendship fallout explained

30 September 2024, 20:30

Are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby still friends? Here is everything we know about their current relationship.

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby were once best friends and co-hosts on This Morning, however their friendship came to a grinding halt when Phillip's affair with a younger colleague came to light.

Known for their close friendship, these two presented a number of shows together including Dancing On Ice and Text Santa, often sharing pictures of their nights out together with their partners.

But in 2023 things took a turn and the pair appeared to have a falling out, resulting in the former besties refusing to talk to each other and unfollowing the other on Instagram. As Phillip makes his TV comeback on Cast Away, viewers are hoping he will spill all the juicy details regarding his relationship with Holly.

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But what happened between Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby? Here is everything we know about their fallout.

What happened between Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby?

In May 2023 rumours began to swirl regarding Phillip and Holly's once close friendship.

At the time, a source told OK!: "You could cut the tension in the room with a knife. The fact that the audience are now noticing it too indicates that big cracks are starting to show."

The two had experienced a negative public reaction to their alleged queue-skipping at the Queen's lying-in-state, which appears to have put a strain on their relationship.

Things became even more tense when it was suggested Phillip had failed to tell Holly that his brother Timothy had been jailed for child sex offences.

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A source opened up to The Sun about their rocky relations, telling the publication: "This has been brewing quietly for some time.

"But now it’s all out in the open and people are talking about it. There is no getting past it."

They added: “For those working on the show it was business as usual but naturally it’s the talk of the office.”

However the pair put on a united front, with Phillip telling The Sun: "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.

"Holly has always been there for me, through thick and thin. And I've been there for her."

In late May talk surrounding Phillip's relationship with a younger colleague came to light, with his position on This Morning becoming untenable.

The veteran host then announced he would be leaving the show, stating: "I have always been proud to cover fascinating stories on This Morning. But recently, This Morning itself has become the story.

"Throughout my career in TV – including the very difficult last few days – I have always done my best to be honourable and kind. I understand that ITV has decided the current situation can't go on, and I want to do what I can to protect the show that I love.

"So I have agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect, in the hope that the show can move forward to a bright future. I'd like to thank everyone who has supported me – especially This Morning's amazing viewers – and I'll see you all for the Soap Awards next month."

Following his resignation, Holly crafted her own statement which read: "It’s been over 13 great years presenting This Morning with Phil and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for all of his knowledge, his experience and his humour."

She simply added: "The sofa won’t feel the same without him."

Despite this positive message, Phillip went on to reveal that following his exit from the show, Holly had failed to respond to his texts after he admitted the affair.

Speaking in an interview, Phillip said: "The last time we had a conversation was when I texted Holly and said, ‘Don’t reply’ – this was after the statement last week – ‘Don’t reply, you’re probably not allowed to, but I am deeply deeply sorry that I lied to you."

However Holly wasn't pleased when the affair revelation turned out to be true, with the presenter stating: "When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not.

"It's been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie."

Since then it appears that these two are no longer on speaking terms and have severed all ties to each other, even unfollowing the other on social media.

After taking a 16 month break from TV screens, Phillip is making his media return in the Channel 5 show Cast Away.

In a preview, the father-of-two opened up about his downfall, and took aim at some former colleagues.

Phillip revealed: "There are a lot of amazing people in morning television. I think there are only three s****. One of them is a coward who never stepped up in queue-gate. One is a coward, because they never stepped up when I was being battered, and the other is just brand-orientated. Not what you expect, not what you think you’re going to get."

While it isn't clear who exactly Phillip is talking about, many viewers are hoping he will break his silence regarding their frosty relationship...

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