ITV chiefs’ delight as Holly Willoughby and Alison Hammond prove to be a dream team on This Morning 

Holly Willoughby’s collaboration with Alison Hammond on This Morning was so popular with ITV bosses that they want to pair the two women more often.

Ms Hammond, who presents the Friday slot of the daytime show, replaced Phillip Schofield when he took leave for the duration of his brother Timothy’s trial late last month.

ITV sources say she and Ms Willoughby were regarded as a ‘total joy’ on the channel, which also took note of social media feedback confirming that the duo were also popular with fans.

Now some at ITV are mischievously wondering where is Schofield, who has fallen out of favor with some viewers in recent years.

A source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘It was a super smart idea to involve Alison with Holly, and it worked so well.

Mrs Willoughby (left) has become a close friend of 48-year-old Mrs Hammond and supported her during her recent blackmail ordeal, which saw a former boyfriend demand £5,000 and a BMW from her

It was a new dynamic for Holly, who played with Phil almost every time she appeared on This Morning for 14 years.

“The bosses are absolutely thrilled with their decision to put them together and want to find ways to do this more often.

“They see Alison as the future, but who would have thought it would be next to Holly? It works on Strictly [having two female hosts] so why not on This Morning? While no one is supposed to discuss Phil and his future on This Morning, it’s naturally become a topic of discussion since Holly and Alison co-host.”

Schofield, 61, took a scheduled leave from ITV late last month, leaving bosses looking for a replacement to star with Ms Willoughby, 42.

Ms. Hammond, who appears on the Friday show with Dermot O’Leary, joined her for two days before The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett took over for the next two days.

Schofield (right) returns to This Morning on Sunday after three weeks of annual leave, which coincided with his brother’s trial for child offenses

While Ms. Willoughby has been loyal to Schofield since joining the show in 2009, she made no secret of her happiness being linked to Ms. Hammond.

She posted four times on her Instagram account about her excitement over her new co-star, with one post saying, “Love you @alisonhammond55…same time tomorrow?” next to a picture of the two women with their hands in the air.

Ms Willoughby has become a close friend of 48-year-old Ms Hammond and supported her during her recent blackmail ordeal, in which a former boyfriend demanded £5,000 and a BMW from her.

Meanwhile, Schofield returns to This Morning tomorrow after three weeks of annual leave.

The last two weeks have been part of his usual Easter break, which he and Mrs. Willoughby spend together.