Phillip Schofield’s scandalous departure from This Morning has sent fans of The Morning Show into a tailspin after noticing that the real drama is akin to the mayhem that plagues Jennifer Aniston in the AppleTV+ series.
The first season of the drama focused on host Alex Levy, who is forced to weather the storm of her co-anchor, Mitch Kessler’s #MeToo scandal.
And after Phillip admitted like a bombshell that he had an affair with a colleague from This Morning, fans quickly noticed that the show was a case of art imitating life.
An eagle-eyed fan also took to Twitter to note that in another hilarious twist of fate, Holly and Phillip made a cameo on The Morning Show, in the background of a scene where Alex is caught up in a row with show bosses.
The screenshot was reposted by a fan, who wrote, “Holly Willoughby is literally Jennifer Aniston on The Mornin Show. A show they also played in the background at… full circle moment? Or subliminal messages?’
Known? Phillip Schofield’s departure from This Morning has sent fans of The Morning Show on a tailspin, as his cameo in the series alongside Holly Willoughby resurfaced
Shocking! This Morning has been surrounded by chaos since Schofield was forced to admit in a statement that he had lied about his relationship with the younger man to ITV
Another added, “Sorry, but I haven’t seen anyone make the obvious comparison between #TheMorningShow and #ThisMorning stuff – very on the nose?
“Like everyone yapping about what ifs and who knew – it’s all covered in season one, pretty awesome isn’t it?”
A third added, “We’re actually watching #TheMorningShow in real life.”
An eagle-eyed fan also shared, “This whole @thismorning drama feels like watching @TheMorningShow in real time.”
The eerie similarities between The Morning Show and the real-life drama of This Morning were echoed by The Daily Mail columnist Nadine Dorries.
She wrote, “When I was approached to host my own TV show, a producer friend suggested I watch The Morning Show, a hit series starring Jennifer Aniston as the news anchor.
“The behind-the-scenes look at a fictional daily breakfast show in New York would give me an insight into how such programs are made,” my friend said.
“It was good advice. It was also good television. I was gripped, binge-watching every episode. And as the Phillip Schofield saga played out over the past week, I was reminded of one in particular.
Look who it is! When Holly and Phil’s famous cameo resurfaced, many fans took to social media to note that the couple’s scandal was a case of life imitating art
The series kicks off with breaking news: Aniston’s co-anchor, Mitch Kessler, is embroiled in a #MeToo scandal. It’s a well-known story.
A dominant man who uses his position as a powerful and reliable figure to exploit, in this case, junior personnel desperate to advance their careers in a fiercely competitive industry.
“Chaos ensues and both the ratings and the share price of the network plummet.
Kessler protests his innocence despite the evidence against him – then tries to take everyone away.
In episode three, Aniston’s character – Alex Levy – wants to interview one of Kessler’s victims live on the show. Her bosses, desperate to limit further damage to the network, insist the victim is untrustworthy and can only get a short segment.
During the heated discussion that follows, there is, bizarrely and for no apparent reason, a wink-and-you’ll-miss-it clip of Phil and Holly in action on one of the giant studio screens in the background. (The British sofa duo were so delighted with their five-second performance that they featured it on their own show.)
‘Was that video in that context purely coincidental? Probably . . . But at the time I wondered how likely it was that a real American TV station would air a mid-morning British magazine show like This Morning.
“If I knew conspiracy theories, I would think there was a subliminal message in them: a nod to the fact that Phillip Schofield’s behavior was one of the best-kept secrets in show business.”
It comes as car dealership Arnold Clark, the show’s biggest sponsor, announced it will end its existing multi-million pound deal with the channel in the autumn as planned.
The company’s multi-year agreement with This Morning began in September 2021, but the car dealer has confirmed it will not be renewed when the contract expires later this year.
This morning has been surrounded by chaos since Schofield admitted in a statement to the Daily Mail on Friday that he had lied about his relationship with the younger man to ITV, his lawyers, his talent agency and his co-star of 14 years.
Last night the scandal showed no sign of relief with new photos emerging of a smiling Schofield with his former lover and Holly Willoughby in 2018 as they left a This Morning Live event.
And the Mail revealed that while ITV insists it launched an investigation into the men’s relationship when rumors began circulating in 2020, the host’s former lover said he was never questioned about the matter.
It is believed that Willoughby is fighting to keep her role as a presenter on the show and hopes to get over the scandal.
She has been off the air since Schofield’s sudden departure, but this was due to a planned holiday for the school holidays.
The presenter, who has led the show for 14 years, is expected to return to the program on Monday, June 5.
Shocking: The drama’s first season focused on host Alex Levy (played by Jennifer Aniston), who is forced to weather the storm of her co-anchor, Mitch Kessler’s #MeToo scandal
But Willoughby is facing calls to leave the show as well, with former culture secretary Nadine Dorries claiming the popular presenter has ‘questions to answer’.
Since Schofield dramatically left the program earlier this month, pictures of the longtime presenter have been removed from ITV studios in White City.
A large framed photo of him hanging in London’s Television Center where the show is filmed was also removed.
Some have called for the mid-morning show to be canceled altogether, with the editor who launched it 36 years ago calling for it to “die with dignity” last night.