Revealed: The Alan Carr joke about Phillip Schofield that ITV cut from the Royal Variety Performance broadcast – despite leaving the audience in stitches

When comedian Alan Carr made a joke about Phillip Schofield’s lack of work since his affair scandal, the audience at the Royal Variety Performance went into hysterics.

But ITV, the presenter’s former employers and the channel that showed the event dropped the joke – perhaps fearing it would prompt him to start another row with them.

During the live show, recorded at the Royal Albert Hall on November 22, much-loved presenters Carr and Amanda Holden told how they had been relaxing all day.

Mrs. Holden had said she had been juicing while Carr appeared not to have eaten his dinner.

Then a Deliveroo driver appeared on stage with about ten boxes full of pizza, prompting Carr to tell the man to take them to his dressing room.

As the Deliveroo driver left the stage, Alan said: ‘I can’t be too hard on him, I’m just happy to see Phillip Schofield is back at work!’

One audience member told the Mail: ‘Alan was hilarious, it just rolled off his tongue and the whole room burst into laughter.

‘The audience was in fits of laughter, it was perfectly timed and very funny. It’s just so strange that ITV didn’t include it in their final cut.’

Despite the joke about Mr Schofield (pictured) reaching the audience, ITV made the decision to omit it from the broadcast

Comedian Alan Carr and presenter Amanda Holden were the new presenters for this year’s Royal Variety Performance

Schofield, 61, started a war of words with ITV – who he worked with for more than 30 years before leaving 18 months ago – during his Channel 5 show Cast Away.

He fueled the row by insisting he was sacked rather than leave following his affair with a much younger This Morning colleague.

He also targeted his former girlfriend and co-star Holly Willoughby, This Morning editor Martin Frizell and daytime head Emma Gormley by calling them ‘three s***s’.

A TV source said: ‘Maybe ITV didn’t want to start another row with Phil by putting that on air.’

Ms Holden, 53, has also made no secret of her disdain for Schofield after claiming he stopped her from stepping into Ms Willoughby’s shoes while she presented I’m A Celeb in 2018.

And just months later in 2019, Ms Holden made her feelings clear when she took a swipe at Schofield during a radio quiz on Heart Breakfast. When asked what she wouldn’t want to discover in her home, she replied: “Spiders, flies and Phillip Schofield.”

Nearly four million people watched the Royal Variety Performance last night.

One audience member said: ‘We had the most fantastic evening at the Royal Albert Hall. Alan and Amanda were hilarious, with highlights being cast in Oliver and seeing Elton John introduce The Devil Wears Prada.”

ITV declined to comment.