JUDI JAMES analyses Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield’s body language on This Morning

Phillip Schofield attempted to show “signs of closeness” to Holly Willoughby on today’s episode of This Morning as she used “barrier rituals” to avoid excessive closeness, body language expert Judi James said today.

Today’s show opened with a short speech from the world’s most advanced robot, which This Morning described as ‘the UK’s number one breakfast show’.

Ms James described the moment as a ‘welcome icebreaker’ for the presenting duo after an uneasy week dominated by reports of their ongoing feud.

“After their awkward, toe-curling body language moments this week, it was the best joke to have Holly and Phil replaced with a robot,” she told MailOnline.

It was hilariously obvious that the robot’s surreally realistic body language was a masterclass of measured, authentically calm confidence juxtaposed with the tension of the desk next door.

“The robot provided an icebreaker for Holly and Phil, with Phil making a terrifying face and Holly even screaming and trying to scramble across the desk to get away from it.”

Despite the light-hearted opening, Mrs. James still sensed signs of tension between the couple.

“The energy was all Holly’s during their intro this morning, as Phil rested on his arms with folded hands,” she said.

Holly danced to the Gladiator music, raising her arms and spreading her fingers in a ritual for attention.

But when they spoke to each other by making eye contact, the intense pressure of eye-to-eye staring, which is always a more intimate and telling way of communicating, saw Holly leaning away, while Phil seemed to lean forward, using the facial expressions. of elated attention as she speaks.’

Ms James also singled out a moment when Holly described a visit to Buckingham Palace yesterday to introduce the Prince’s Trust award winners to King Charles.

At one point Phil turns to look lovingly at Holly, she leans back away from him to talk about her lovely afternoon at Buckingham Palace.

She suddenly holds up her tablet in a barrier gesture, perhaps knowing it was a performance Phil missed.

The body language expert said Ms Willoughby held up a tablet as part of a ‘barrier ritual’

On today’s show, according to Ms. James, Phil was trying to show his “closeness” to Holly

So, despite his encouraging nods, she raises her left hand to her chest in a self-protective barrier gesture as Phil talks to her.

“He seems to want to show signs of closeness while she avoids closeness by sitting back and using these barrier rituals.”

An hour into the program, the pair interviewed Loose Women star Kaye Adams – a moment James said was significant.

‘During the interview, he suddenly sits up on the couch and becomes very expressive with some emphatic hand gestures suggesting strong feelings or emotions.

”You are so honest and so open with each other,” he says of the Loose Women team. He spread his hands to make this moment even bigger, then pointed his thumb at Kaye and shrugged his shoulders to register deep feelings.

Holly glances at his face as he talks, then looks away at Kaye. Her smile widens slightly when he says “honest,” but then there’s a micro-dip of the corners of her mouth when he says “open.”

Today was Phil and Holly’s last This Morning show of the week.

Mrs. James described their sign-off and said: “Holly did indeed start to pick at his fingers, Phil kept his hands in his pockets, bouncing on his heels with a glint in his eye and a mouth clamp.

He kept his lips pursed but lifted his chin with the corners of his mouth pulled down for parting, which could be a sign of resilience.

“Holly was the one who said ‘See you Monday!'” with a perky tilt of her head, raising her left hand in a swing that didn’t mirror Phil and just shouting ‘Bye!’

When the camera pulled away, their smiles looked as incongruous as the robot’s. Phil stepped back from Holly as she walked across the street to talk to the store expert and reached out to hug her.’

“It was hilariously obvious that the robot’s surrealistically realistic body language was a masterclass of measured, authentically calm confidence juxtaposed with the tension of the desk next door,” said Ms. James.