Holly Willoughby’s future on This Morning is said to be ‘hanging by a thread’, after Phillip Schofield revealed he was having an affair with a teenager who worked on the show.
Schofield, 61, made a shocking admission to the Mail last night that he was dating a much younger man who worked with him on This Morning while still married to his wife Stephanie Lowe.
Now his former co-host of 13 years is facing questions as to whether she knew about his “cheating” after working so closely with him for so long.
Insiders told GB News that Schofield’s admission could make Holly’s future on the show “unsustainable.”
While ITV said today it had investigated rumors of Schofield’s affair with a younger male employee, but both denied it when questioned.
Holly Willoughby’s future on This Morning is said to be ‘hanging by a thread’ after Phillip Schofield revealed he had an affair with a teenager who worked on the show
When Schofield came out as gay in 2020, Holly wrote on Instagram that she had ‘never been so proud of my girlfriend as I am now’
A source told GB News that the situation could leave a “massive cloud” over 41-year-old Holly, even if he was genuinely misled by Schofield.
‘There is a growing sense that it might be better, both for her and for the program, to move on so that a line can be drawn under things,” they said.
Holly is also reportedly angry that her name could be dragged through the mud.
The source added, “Whether she has a future on the show really is hanging by a thread.
“There is a sense that the situation is quickly becoming unsustainable for all involved.”
The news comes as bookies say Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary are favorites to become the next joint hosts if Holly leaves.
Schofield also confessed yesterday that he had lied to his employer ITV, to his colleagues, his friends and his agents at management firm YMU.
Though questions linger about what Holly knew. The co-stars had previously plastered vacation photos on Instagram, showing them snapping and posing in the sun, with Schofield calling Holly his “bestie.” He also described her as “my rock” when reports of their feud came out earlier this month.
Holly Willoughby sat next to Schofield on TV’s most famous daytime couch for 13 years, enjoying a very public friendship with him and his wife Stephanie, even going on holiday together most years.
Holly Willoughby, Schofield’s co-host for 13 years, is faced with whether she knew about his ‘cheating’ after working so closely with him for so long
When Schofield came out as gay in 2020, Holly wrote on Instagram that she had “never been as proud of my girlfriend as I am now” and would support Stephanie leading up to and after the announcement.
A source said at the time: ‘Holly loves Steph and knows they’ve had two really tough conversations. She was there for both of them at the time and of course would never betray their trust.’
Holly was often pictured having drinks with the couple at sporting events they attended, such as Wimbledon and Ascot.
However, the presenter has remained silent since publishing a brief 39-word statement following Schofield’s departure from This Morning last week.
She’s halfway through a two-week break from presenting her duties after taking early half-time vacation leave and will be back on the bench on Monday, June 5.
Yet This Morning now faces an uncertain future, with ITV staff left baffled by Schofield’s reveal night, drawing suspicion from their bosses and raising questions about if and what they knew about one of their biggest stars and his much younger male friend.
Phillip Schofield, 61 shares emotional walk with mother Pat in the West Country after his brother Timothy was jailed for 12 years (pictured May 19 following his withdrawal from This Morning)
The ITV press service criticized their former star presenter’s ‘confessions of cheating’, effectively throwing him under the bus. The channel confirmed that they had accepted his resignation and that he would not be presenting the British Soap Awards.
But at the helm of the channel is a group of executives who it is hard to believe were unaware of the allegations.
MailOnline has reached out to representatives for Holly Willoughby for comment.
Schofield admitted to the affair, which he said was “ill-advised but not illegal,” in a lengthy statement released Friday, in which he also apologized to his wife and family.
Meanwhile, Eamonn Holmes – who previously co-presented the show with wife Ruth Langsford – continued to make a series of allegations suggesting that station bosses knew about claims against Schofield and “never took any action.”
The 63-year-old broadcaster – who previously presented on This Morning alongside Schofield, 61 – sensationally claimed bosses knew ‘what kind of man’ the star was and took no action.