Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield are reportedly taking a week’s break from This Morning amid rumors of their ongoing feud.
The presenting duo will be spending some time apart as they are reportedly leaving the ITV show in just over a week.
It comes amid reports that Holly and Phillip ‘are not as close as they once were’ and now barely talks off-camera as their friendship has cooled.
And Holly, 42, and Phillip, 61, both plan to take a week off for half term before returning to the program on Monday, June 5, according to The sun.
It follows the usual practice of the two presenters being given time off during the school holidays as they also normally take a long break during the summer.
Break: Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield are reportedly taking a week-long break from This Morning amid rumors of their ongoing feud
MailOnline has contacted ITV and representatives for Holly and Phillip for comment.
It comes because Phillip’s pedophile brother, Timothy, has been sentenced today to 12 years in prison after being convicted of a host of child crimes, including assaulting a teenage boy.
Meanwhile, leading bookmakers have revealed the odds of both Holly and Phillip being replaced on This Morning.
Irish bookmaker Paddy Power revealed the odds of Phillip leaving This Morning by placing him at 2/1, while they placed his co-host Holly at 4/1.
Meanwhile, William Hill had a 4/1 chance that Holly could leave This Morning before June, which also gave her a 6/1 chance that she could take a new job at Loose Women.
She is on 10/1 to land hosting duties on Strictly Come Dancing and the bookmaker also predicted a 20/1 chance for her to present I’m A Celebrity.
William Hill spokesman Lee Phelps said: ‘There seems to be plenty to suggest Holly Willoughby’s time on This Morning is coming to an end and we’re offering 4/1 that she leave her role by the end of the month.
“Holly will certainly be popular when she leaves and we think Love Island and Loose Women (both 6/1) and Strictly (10/1) will be on the agenda.”
It comes after Holly shared an awkward kiss with Phillip earlier this week when she left him to host the end of This Morning alone.
Time off: Holly, 42, and Phillip, 61, plan to take a week off for half term before returning to the program on Monday, June 5, according to reports
On Wednesday’s show, Holly announced she would be leaving early to head to Buckingham Palace to introduce the Prince’s Trust Awards winners to King Charles.
Before the TV star’s departure, she and Phil put up a united front as they embraced and kissed each other on the cheek, prompting viewers to praise them for their “Oscars-level performance.”
Fans joked on social media that Holly “looked happy” to be able to leave the episode early.
One of them wrote, “Given the, uh, *circumstances* I think Holly jumped at the chance to tee off half an hour early.”
A second said, “No wonder Holly looks happier. She can leave early.’
Body language expert Judi James called the moment “quite awkward,” adding that it was “triggered by Holly after a flurry of embarrassment signals, which included stroking her hair and placing a hand over her mouth as she giggled.”
She told MailOnline, “His stance was all casual angles, from the tilted head and shoulders to the bent knee and asymmetrical smile, and his hands looked like they were casually hanging out of his pockets rather than being tucked there.”
In contrast, Holly’s pose seemed straight-forward, with her torso erect and her arms straight at her sides.
She looked horrified by Phil’s sudden, playful “Tell me all about it!”, which was accompanied by a dramatic circular motion of the head and raising of the eyebrows as he twisted his neck at a 45-degree angle to face her. looking back into a wide-eyed stare.
Oh dear: it comes after Holly left Phillip to host the end of This Morning alone and gave him an awkward kiss on the way out, amid reports they’re ‘not as close as they once were’
Awkward: Body language expert Judi James called the kissing moment “rather awkward,” adding that it was “initiated by Holly after a flurry of embarrassment signals.”
Holly’s “I had a lovely day yesterday” got another flattering remark from Phil that seemed exaggerated enough to indicate the tiniest bit of sarcasm. “You looked beautiful” came with a raised chin and closed eyes.
The night before, Holly had made presentations at the Prince’s Trust Awards in London, while Phil was nowhere to be seen when he attended the London Wine Fair.
The duo have failed to deal with their breakup since returning to This Morning, but rumor has it Phil will face the ax if they can’t reverse a ratings drop.
It comes after 170,000 fewer viewers watched Monday’s episode compared to the week before, amid claims the pair seemed ‘uncomfortable’.
Figures showed that Monday’s episode was watched by an average of 726,720 people, compared to 894,000 on the same day last week.
Peak viewership was also significantly down to 914,000 compared to 1.058 million on May 8.
The duo, on the other hand, attracted 1.3 million viewers for their Christmas show in 2022 and averaged 1.4 million in the first four weeks of 2021.
Concerns over the future of the breakfast program have led to speculation of an impending staff shake-up, with insiders claiming that Phil could be forced out along with top producer Martin Frizell.
A source told The Sun: ‘This Morning is gearing up for some seismic changes this summer – Phil is on the list as the first big name for the chop when his contract expires this summer. Seeing the response from This Morning viewers was a wake-up call.”
But PR expert Mark Borkowski downplayed the likelihood of imminent staff moves, saying ITV would try to ‘ride out of the cyclone’.
Solo: Amid rumored feuds, Holly attended the Prince’s Trust Awards on Tuesday night, but Phillip, a charity ambassador, was nowhere to be seen
Commitments: Phillip chose to visit the London Wine Fair to support a brand he works with, When in Rome Wine
He told MailOnline: ‘I think ITV and program executives will indeed take a long look at the presenters.
“Maybe it’s a time to change and regenerate with two fresh faces. But don’t write obituaries just yet.
‘Viewing figures fluctuate and I’m sure bosses will look at aggregates long term. It’s about looking at all options and not bowing to social media spikes.”
Senior figures at ITV called a crisis meeting following a flurry of negative feedback on social media about Monday’s show.