Phillip Schofield quits – Update: Holly Willoughby makes statement as ‘This Morning’ star leaves show over ‘feud’

Holly Willoughby has thanked her outgoing co-star for “13 great years as a presenter” after he announced he was leaving the show This Morning effective immediately after a reported feud between the two broke out .

In a brief statement after Mr Schofield announced his retirement, Ms Willoughby thanked her former colleague for “all his knowledge, experience and humor”.

She added, “The sofa won’t feel the same without him.”

Everyone needs a “working partner”.

You’re friends at first, but soon you’re exchanging sharp looks, eating each other’s sandwiches, and bandaging at the waist as soon as you walk through the office door in the morning.

Read more from Katie Edwards Here:

Last Saturday (May 13), Phillip Schofield issued an unprecedented statement admitting that “the last few weeks have not been easy for any of us.”

At the time, he continued to insist that Holly Willoughby was his “rock”.

You can read more about the status a week ago here:

He last hosted the ITV show on Thursday 18 May, bringing his 21-year role as presenter to an abrupt end.

Earlier this week it was reported that the This morning The co-hosts’ relationship is strained and they rarely speak off-camera.

Schofield acknowledged that “the last couple of weeks have not been easy,” but initially wanted to counter the claims, stating, “We’re best friends – as always she’s been 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 was there for her.”

Read everything we know about the rift between the two:

After more than a decade co-hosting ITV’s flagship morning show, Phillip Schofield’s on-screen collaboration with Holly Willoughby ended with the news that he was leaving the show.

Responding to the news after weeks of speculation that all was not well between the pair, Ms Willoughby said: “It’s been over 13 amazing years of presenting.” This morning with Phil and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for all his knowledge, experience and humor.”

“The sofa won’t feel the same without him.”

Kelly is the host of the daily talk show Lorrainethat will be broadcast beforehand This morning At Weekdays on ITV.

Speak with The sun Earlier this week, Kelly alluded to recent reports of behind-the-scenes “tensions” between Willoughby, 42, and co-host Schofield, 61.

“You know what? They were back today and it was business as usual and everyone just keeps going,” she said.

Kelly is also quoted as saying it’s “unlikely” that either is the case This morning The presenter leaves the show.

An emotional Schofield told the audience, “Please never feel like we’re getting complacent and please don’t think we ever take that for granted. That means a lot to us every year, especially this year.”

The ceremony came about a month after Willoughby and Schofield were at the center of major public controversy after they were accused of “pushing in” to see Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin laid out.

ITV bosses defended the presenters, saying they had visited the site as accredited media representatives.

Midst reports that Phillip Schofield may be moving to Channel Five, what we’ve heard so far suggests ITV has every intention of keeping him on their channel.

“We look forward to continuing our relationship with Phillip, starting with the British Soap Awards in June and a brand new Peak Time series,” said Kevin Lygo, ITV’s chief executive officer for media and entertainment, in a statement.

“Phillip is undoubtedly one of the best presenters of his generation and we thank him for two decades of absolutely amazing TV shows on the This Morning sofa.”

Schofield began work on This Morning in 2002 and was joined in 2009 by Holly Willoughby.

At this point it’s unclear what the new ‘Peak Time’ program is supposed to be, but it seems ITV is reluctant to drop a person widely regarded as one of their top presenting talents.

Following his departure, here are the runners and drivers who could replace Phillip Schofield on the sofa.

ITV has previously said Holly Willoughby will remain on the show and “co-host with members of the show”. This morning family”, but who are the favourites?

The 49-year-old broadcaster is a prime candidate as he currently co-hosts This Morning with Alison Hammond on Fridays and will succeed Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford in 2021.

The popular presenter, 48, is also a good possibility given her experience on the show, with Ladbrokes making her a favorite at odds of 2/1.

Her schedule could be busy, however, as it was announced earlier this year that she would join comedian Noel Fielding from the next series as the new co-host on The Great British Bake Off.

The Saturdays singer and former host of The Xtra Factor is a regular guest presenter on This Morning.

She also filled in for Willoughby on the breakfast show when the TV star flew to Australia in 2018 to fill in for Ant McPartlin on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! Humes, 34, who currently hosts BBC One game show ‘The Hit List’ with her husband, JLS star Marvin, has been given a rating of 6/1.

The 38-year-old singer has appeared on This Morning alongside his wife Rochelle several times since 2013, making him another strong option at 8/1.

The 34-year-old X Factor singer-turned-host used to regularly host segments on This Morning and has also occasionally stepped in to host the show. It was also announced last month that he was stepping down from hosting Strictly Come Dancing spin-off show It Takes Two. He has odds of 3/1.

The 2010 Big Brother winner, 38, joined the ITV show in 2019 and has co-hosted on several occasions. Gibson, who co-hosted the show with the likes of Vernon Kay, was rated 10/1.

The Italian TV chef, 46, could be a surprise addition to the This Morning coach, with Ladbrokes giving him an odds of 25/1.

He rose to fame as a regular chef on the ITV morning show and has since hosted cooking shows such as ‘Let’s Do Lunch’ and ‘Gino’s Italian Escape’.

I don’t mean it should be bad, I just mean it should be a slump. Something to wear in the background when you were sick at school or something to wear to breakfast on a day off as an adult.

As someone who follows politics and current events, it’s also useful for tracking when a story has “broken through”; In other words, when something on my “For You” tab on Twitter is brought up in mainstream discourse. There’s a reason This morning is listed as a magazine show. It’s a TV show with stories you might read in a dentist’s waiting room. The magazine is never the story, it is the means by which we access the story. So one problem was the fact that Phillip Schofield — as he admitted on his Instagram page — had become a story himself.

Read more from Clare Morrison here: