Holly Willoughby has reportedly become ‘worried’ about Amanda Holden’s status in their showbiz circles amid claims the pair are embroiled in a breakup.
The pair have long been thought to be far from close friends, and sources are now claiming that Amanda’s connections have caught the attention of the This Morning star.
According to The sunAmanda and Holly have been competing for different jobs, and their rivalry has bubbled to the surface in the wake of Phillip Schofield’s affair scandal on This Morning.
Amanda was involved in a feud with Phillip that started in 2018 when she claimed he sabotaged her chance to fill Holly as host of This Morning.
And the Britain’s Got Talent star raised eyebrows when she mocked Holly’s recent return to This Morning in an Instagram video that mimicked her opening lines: “Are you OK?”
Allegations: Holly Willoughby has reportedly become ‘concerned’ about Amanda Holden’s status in their showbiz circles amid claims the pair are embroiled in a breakup
Claims: The Britain’s Got Talent star raised eyebrows when she appeared to mock Holly’s recent return to This Morning in an Instagram video
A source told the publication: ‘Amanda is a queen bee of showbiz and very connected.
“She has the power to empower her friends to do big jobs and Holly wonders how she became so influential.”
Sources also said Holly thinks Amanda has too much clout in the industry, as evidenced when she suggested to Simon Cowell that her boyfriend Alan Carr could replace David Walliams as Britain’s Got Talent judge, before Bruno Tonioli got the job.
Both stars have huge social media followings and are making headlines with their similar sense of style.
Matters are further confused by the fact that Amanda’s husband Chris Hughes is a group director at management company YMU, who represented Holly before she broke away and launched her own all-female team in 2020.
An insider added that Amanda has previously questioned Holly’s ‘golden girl’ status at ITV, believing she should be on the same footing as other big names on the channel.
They added: ‘With every major job that pops up at ITV, Holly always seems to be at the top of people’s minds when there’s a lot of great talent to choose from.
“Amanda reasonably feels that rising stars are sometimes left out as Holly is the obvious choice for so many executives.”
Not so close: Sources also said Holly thinks Amanda has too much clout in the industry (the pair are pictured together in 2012)
Reports: An insider added that Amanda has previously questioned Holly’s ‘golden girl’ status at ITV, believing she should be on the same footing as other big names on the channel
Similar image: Holly and Amanda have long been known for their similar sense of style, and sources claim the pair have competed for jobs before
MailOnline has reached out to representatives for Amanda Holden and Holly Willoughby for comment.
It comes after Amanda mocked Holly’s comeback speech on This Morning – imitating her speech to This Morning viewers in a video posted on social media.
Returning to the show for the first time since Schofield’s firing following his fling with a younger male colleague, Holly, 42, asked viewers, “Okay, take a deep breath. First, are you okay? I hope so.’
Amanda posted a video to Instagram of her wearing an angelic white ensemble from Me + Em that resembled the Reiss Holly wore, saying, “Hello, it’s Tuesday. Is everything all right?’
And in case anyone didn’t understand, she had another pop on Holly on the radio.
When she talked about doing the hangover show the day before, co-host Jamie Theakston, 52, asked her how she was feeling.
She said, ‘I came home, went straight to bed with my dog and cat. I got up, cooked the tea and went to bed again at 8 o’clock.
“I did that thing where you wake up at 2 a.m. and you have to talk yourself back to sleep.”
Jamie interjected, “We’re concerned about your well-being,” while speaking to another guest.
Amanda replied, “I’m fine folks, are you all right?” to cluck loudly.
A spokesperson for Amanda told MailOnline: ‘Amanda has always made it clear in the past that she has no issues with Holly. Today’s video has been taken out of context.’
Holly’s said in the original statement that it: ‘feels very strange indeed sitting here without Phil and I imagine you may have felt as I did.
“Shaken, alarmed, disappointed, concerned for the well-being of people on all sides of what is going on and full of questions.”
“All of us at This Morning gave our love and support to someone who was not telling the truth, who acted in a way that they felt they should resign from ITV and quit a career they loved. That’s a lot to process.”
She added: “It’s just as hard to see the toll it’s taking on their own mental health. I think what unites us all now is a desire to heal for the health and well-being of all.
“I hope that as we begin this new chapter and return to a place of warmth and magic that the show has in store for all of us, we can find strength in each other.
And from the heart, I can thank you for all your lovely messages and thank you for being here this morning. Myself, Josie, Dermot, Alison, Craig and everyone who works on this show will continue to work hard every day.”
Amanda previously said she believes Phillip sabotaged her chances of filling in on This Morning in 2018 while Holly was hosting I’m A Celeb.
Rochelle Humes landed the job as presenter while Phillips regular co-host Holly took over hosting duties from Ant McPartlin for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here.
In a video that resurfaced, Amanda was questioned about her feud with Phil by her Heart Radio co-star, Jamie.
As he tried to approach the subject, Amanda told him, “I got rid of it, Jamie, you have to get rid of it.”
He pressed on and asked, “Maybe you’ve moved on, but I just wanted to know if there’s anything else going on?”
Amanda told Jamie she had tried to contact Phil, but her attempts to arrange a meeting to clear the air were ignored.
She said: ‘I offered to meet him for coffee months ago, he didn’t respond to my text. What can I say?’
“The olive branch was extended?” Jamie asked.
According to The Sun, Amanda is said to have said she felt “abandoned” by her boyfriend Phillip when she found out she didn’t get the position and it went to Rochelle.
She had previously filled in for Holly when the This Morning star took a year off from the show to have her third child, Chester, now seven, in October 2014.
A former TV executive previously told The Sun: “Phillip actively campaigned for Rochelle to get the job, despite Amanda having more experience – and being told privately that she got the gig.”
An ITV spokesperson later insisted that Rochelle’s casting was a decision by producers, telling MailOnline: “The line-ups of presenters on This Morning change regularly and the final decisions on these line-ups are made by producers and not by the presenters.”
They said at the time: ‘Phillip Schofield is a much loved broadcaster and part of the ITV family. He is a consummate professional and highly regarded by ITV. Amanda is also highly regarded as a judge on one of our biggest shows.”
Similar outfit: Holly opened her comeback monologue on This Morning on Monday by asking viewers if they were okay, and was accused of being melodramatic
Shocking: It came after Phillip’s shocking scandal on This Morning. Amanda has been involved in a feud with the presenter since 2018
During their time co-hosting the morning show, Phillip confessed that he found working with Amanda “quite scary at times.”
He told Heat magazine at the time, “Amanda kept me on my toes. She has a faulty edit button and she forgets she’s on television, which is very endearing and funny, but quite scary at times.’
After Phil quit This Morning, Amanda posted a strongman emoji on Instagram in what appeared to be a sign of celebration.
She did not endorse the post as she remained mysterious about its meaning.