Josie Gibson shows her support for the emotional Holly Willoughby with a big hug after This Morning host addressed the Phillip Schofield scandal
Josie Gibson showed her support for the emotional Holly Willoughby with a big hug after the host addressed the Phillip Schofield scandal.
Holly, 42, returned to the show after a two-week break and opened Monday’s episode with an emotional monologue about her former best friend.
She said it “feels really strange” to be on the show without Schofield, adding that the team “gave our love and support to someone who wasn’t telling the truth.”
Willoughby was back on the couch for the first time since Schofield’s departure on May 26 today as she made an emotional appearance alongside co-presenter Josie.
But Phillip’s friends said he wouldn’t tune in to see Holly’s return to the bank as it would be too “triggering” for him, especially the credits.
It comes after Phillip said he had ‘not told anyone’ about his fling with his former This Morning colleague, confirming in a telling interview with BBC’s Amol Rajan that Willoughby ‘didn’t know’.
Similarly, in his interview with the Sun, the 61-year-old presenter apologized to Holly for lying to her about his relationship, saying, “I’ve lost my best friend.”
‘Bring it in!’: Josie Gibson showed her support for the emotional Holly Willoughby on This Morning on Monday with a big hug after addressing the Phillip Schofield scandal
Tears: Holly looked visibly emotional as she addressed the cameras with a monologue about her former best friend Phillip
He added, “I let her (Holly) down. I missed that whole show. I disappointed the viewers.
“Holly didn’t know (about the affair) and she was one of the first texts I sent, to say, ‘I’m so sorry, so I lied to you.’
“She didn’t answer and I understand why she didn’t answer either. So yeah, if anyone links Holly to this in any way, it’s – absolutely, not true at all.’
The duo, who have co-presented the show since 2009 and also co-presented Dancing On Ice before Schofield resigned from ITV, had been open about their close friendship over the years.
Willoughby’s return comes as the ITV show has been plagued with ‘toxicity’ allegations, including from former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes who claimed there was a ‘total cover-up’ over the Schofield affair.
Watch this space: Holly appeared in a video link on Lorraine today for the show with Josie Gibson
On the road: Holly arrived to film This Morning at Television Center in White City ahead of the show
The calm before the storm: Phillip and Holly on the couch of ITV’s This Morning last month, on May 11
Family: Phillip with his wife Stephanie Lowe and daughters Molly and Ruby in London in 2018
The show’s former family doctor, Dr. Ranj Singh, also fell for a “toxic” culture and said he raised concerns about “bullying and discrimination” when he worked there two years ago and then felt he had been “managed” for whistleblowing.
In a letter from ITV boss Dame Carolyn McCall to parliament on Wednesday, she said an external review carried out following a complaint from Dr. Ranj found “no evidence of bullying or discrimination.”
Meanwhile, former This Morning news head Emily Maddick, who worked on the show from September to December 2019, claimed she left the program due to “bullying, sexism and a toxic culture of fear and harassment.”
On Saturday, This Morning editor Frizell told a Sky News reporter to read between the lines amid claims of toxicity, adding: “I think some scores are being settled.”
Dame Carolyn was summoned before a parliamentary committee on 14 June to answer questions about the broadcaster’s approach to protection and complaints handling following Schofield’s departure.
On Wednesday, she confirmed that the broadcaster had instructed Blackstone Chambers’ lawyer Jane Mulcahy KC to carry out an external inquiry into the facts.