How long can Holly cling on for? Willoughby’s PR team will ‘need to come up with the goods’

Holly Willoughby’s team will have to ‘come with the goods’ amid the fallout from her former co-presenter Phillip Schofield’s scandalous admission that he had an affair with a much younger man.

The star was keen to distance herself from her ex ‘bestie’ after his shocking confession, as the Mail revealed he met the younger man when he was just 15.

Holly, who shared the This Morning couch with Schofield for 13 years, said in a statement that he denied reports of the affair to her and that it was “very hurtful to find out now that this was a lie.”

Now the team behind ITV’s golden girl, including her advisers, agents and lawyers, will have to perform to ensure her future, a PR guru claimed.

The bubbly daytime TV presenter, who has reportedly been labeled ITV’s ‘great hope’ after Schofield was dropped from the show, is currently on holiday with her family two weeks early.

Willoughby said on Instagram it had taken ‘time to process’ the revelations about her ex-co-host

It comes amid reports that Holly’s career as a presenter at ITV is hanging in the balance as questions are raised about who on the channel knew about Schofield’s relationship.

But friends of Ms Willoughby told The Mail on Sunday that she has “absolutely no plans to leave This Morning” and that she “looks forward to going back when she gets back from her break”.

PR guru Mark Borkowski told GBNews that Holly’s team needs to perform for the TV personality as he discussed her future at ITV.

“She’s a commodity for ITV, they’ve invested in her,” he said, pointing to the ‘age discrimination’ controversy surrounding her replacement of Fern Britton on the show as an example.

“Whatever she does next, her PR consultants, agents and lawyers will have to come up with the goods,” he explained.

He added that the media frenzy surrounding the scandal has been a PR nightmare.

“Up to now, the way this has been handled by publicists involved is akin to looking for a gas leak with a lit match,” he said.

Holly’s friends have denied she had any knowledge of Schofield’s affair, and she has now claimed she was lied to

Holly is managed by her own agency, Roxy Management, which she founded in 2020 after leaving talent agency YMU Group, which she shared with Schofield

Her split from the agency, where Schofield is a stakeholder according to The Sun, reportedly caused a rift between the couple.

The pair have reportedly had a strained relationship for months with a string of controversies including Queuegate and Schofield’s brother, Timothy, who has been convicted of child offences.

Now the explosive new revelations about Schofield’s affair with the much younger man, whom he described as “ill-advised but not illegal,” threaten to end their relationship forever.

Schofield engaged in the affair with the younger man while he was with his wife, Stephanie Lowe (right) for 27 years

PR guru Mark Borkowski told GBNews Holly’s team needs to deliver as he discussed her future at ITV

Since the revelations, questions have been raised about what was known by Schofield’s co-host, as well as ITV bosses and staff.

Mr Borkowski said: ‘This highly reported breakup, which heralded this chain of events – did they all know something was coming down the pipeline? Did they know it would break?’

Holly shared an Instagram story yesterday in which she denied having knowledge of the affair, saying she asked Schofield about it when “reports first surfaced” but that he lied to her.

In a story she shared with her 8.3 million Instagram followers, Willoughby said it had “taken time” to process the amazing revelations about her former co-host.

Sources close to the presenter said it had been a “traumatic” revelation for the This Morning presenter and a “time of real sadness” as Schofield was “her very good friend”.

Friends have denied she had any knowledge of the affair, telling The Mail on Sunday: ‘Holly knew nothing about this and she is very upset to have learned the truth.

“She was also lied to. It has all been very traumatic for her and a time of real sadness.

“Phil was her very good friend, they spent so much time together, laughed so much and supported each other through difficult times. This is all a shock.’

The source added that Ms. Willoughby “has absolutely no plans to leave This Morning.”

“She loves the show and she’s looking forward to going back when she’s back from her hiatus.”