Holly Willoughby to tackle Phillip Schofield scandal head-on: This Morning star ‘prepares statement’
Holly Willoughby to tackle the Phillip Schofield scandal head-on: This Morning star is ‘preparing an honest personal statement’ for when she returns to the bench tomorrow as BBC bosses circle in an attempt to poach daytime TV queen for new shows
Holly Willoughby is reportedly preparing an “honest and personal statement” to address the Phillip Schofield scandal when she returns to This Morning on Monday.
It comes as the star is reportedly being courted by BBC bosses who are trying to lure her away from ITV.
Holly has been on holiday in Portugal this week after Phillip admitted lying about an affair with a younger colleague.
She hasn’t appeared on This Morning for the past two weeks, but will return to the show following the departure of her former co-host.
Holly wants to address the scandal and explain to viewers how difficult things have been for those who worked on the show in recent weeks, a source said. The sun.
Holly Willoughby will return to present This Morning on Monday and has issued a statement to address the Phillip Schofield scandal
The presenter has been on holiday in Portugal this week following Phillip’s departure from ITV
The source said, “She will be honest and open and call him by name. She does not shy away from the tricky subject, because she wants to show herself to the viewers and loyal fans.
“She’s thought about what she’s going to say and wrote it down beforehand, taking her time to get the words right. It’s not something she’s forced to do.
“It’s not going to be an easy moment for her and she knows she can get emotional, but she thinks it’s the right thing to do and wants to talk about it honestly.”
The statement would be scheduled for the top of Monday’s show, when Holly appears alongside co-host Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle.
She will then host much of the rest of the show as normal, including an interview with Queen singer Adam Lambert, it has been reported.
Photos of Phillip have reportedly been removed from the ITV studios, but the move is meant to mark a change of direction rather than a disapproval from the former presenter.
The BBC is said to be interested in signing Holly for some new shows and an executive has been in touch with her in recent days. The mirror reported.
The company is said to have discussed what high-profile programs she could present if she makes the switch from ITV.
A source said: “The bosses have had talks this week about what they can offer her in the future.
Holly and Phil present This Morning together in May before he leaves the programme
Holly will appear alongside co-host Josie Gibson when she returns to the show this week
And an executive reached out to her directly earlier this week.
“Holly was still on vacation at the time. But she values her relationship with the BBC and the friendships she has built there.”
The news comes after This Morning editor Martin Frizell sensationally suggested that ex-stars of the show are “settling scores” amid allegations of a “toxic” work environment.
Mr Frizell – who is married to TV presenter Fiona Phillips – said to ‘read between the lines’ and added: ‘I think some accounts are being settled’ when asked if there was a toxic culture during the show.
Speaking on Saturday morning, Mr Frizell denied he was ‘concerned’ about an external review to be carried out in ITV after MPs and leading industry figures raised concerns about protection.
He added: “All I want to say is I work with a fantastic team of mostly women, a lot of mothers, a lot of them are worried about their jobs, although we’ve told them there’s no need to.”
It comes after Schofield first spoke out this week in an interview with the BBC, in which he appeared to accept that his television career was over.