Former This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield’s friends have said he is ‘completely broken’ by his brutal ITV axing – as it has been revealed, he will receive six months wages.
Bosses at ITV decided his feud with co-host Holly Willoughby, 42, cost the morning show too many viewers, after 200,000 were knocked out.
Ms Willoughby, who has hosted This Morning with Schofield for 13 years, will return to host the show on June 5 after a two-week break.
Alison Hammond, 48, and Dermot O’Leary, 49, will appear on the bench on Monday, ITV confirmed, with Hammond high on the list of potential replacements for the presenter, alongside Rylan Clark, 34, and Josie Gibson, 38.
Phillip Schofield, 61, is said to have consulted his mother, ex-wife and daughters before making the shocking decision to step down. The announcement came in the wake of his brother’s conviction for sex offenses against a teenage boy.
Former This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield’s friends have said he is ‘completely broken’ by his brutal ITV axing – as it has been revealed, he will receive six months wages. Pictured: Phillip with his mother, Pat, on Sunday
The relationship between the two presenters, once hailed as the best on TV, was reportedly broken
A source close to the TV presenter said that The sun that Schofield has been paid six months’ wages – believed to be in the region of £300,000 – from ITV.
But despite the golden farewell, the presenter feels ‘abandoned’ by the channel.
The source said: “Phil feels he has been disrespected and is devastated at how this has turned out.
“He feels the way he was forced to resign is so unfair and he feels completely broken by the way this situation has been handled.”
The source added that Schofield feels he was stabbed “without proper consultation” and that he spoke to his mother, Pat, and ex-wife Stephanie before agreeing to step back.
He also spoke with daughters Molly, a talent agent at his management company YMU, and Ruby.
“Phil has dedicated over 20 years to that show and for it all to end this way is incredibly upsetting to him,” the source explains.
But he has received messages of support from industry insiders, the source continued.
“He has received a number of messages of support privately from friends in the industry.
“It means a lot to him that people take the time to reach out.”
The former This Morning presenter was spotted on Sunday with his mother Pat (85) in Cornwall, where he sought refuge from the media frenzy surrounding his departure.
According to bystanders, he was seen vaping while looking out over the sea.
After days of reports that Phil was facing the ax at ITV, he took to Instagram on Saturday to reveal that he had ‘agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect’.
I’ve always taken pride in writing fascinating stories on This Morning. But recently, This Morning itself has become the story,” he wrote online.
“Throughout my entire TV career – including the very difficult past few days – I have always tried my best to be honorable and kind.
“I understand that ITV has decided that the current situation cannot continue and I want to do what I can to protect the show I love.
So I’ve agreed to step down from This Morning effective immediately, in hopes that the show has a bright future. I want to thank everyone who has supported me – especially the wonderful viewers of This Morning – and I’ll see you all next month at the Soap Awards.”
Tension: The TV presenter, 61, has pulled out of the show following reports of a feud with his co-host Holly Willoughby
The relationship between the two presenters, once celebrated as the best on TV, had broken down and reports suggest that Phil had not told Holly about his brother’s trial.
The partnership breakup reportedly dates back to her divorce from Phil’s talent agency, YMU, three years ago. Holly later won a £1 million payout from the agency.
She posted: ‘It’s been over 13 amazing years presenting This Morning with Phil and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank him for all his knowledge, his experience and his humour. The bank won’t feel the same without him.’
Mrs. Willoughby is expected to spend her free time with her family.
ITV is expected to announce a replacement for Phil in the coming weeks, but guest presenters will replace Holly until then.
Timothy Schofield was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Friday after pleading guilty to sex offences, including some involving a teenage boy.
Phillip Schofield is expected to return to the screens on June 3 to present the British Soap Awards alongside a new peak time series.