This Morning star Dr. Ranj has confessed that he is weighing his future on the show because of the “negativity” surrounding the ongoing feud between hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
The show’s house doctor, whose full name is Ranjit Singh, has been a mainstay on the bench since joining the popular daytime TV show in 2016.
But with ITV bosses suddenly “bewildered” after learning that ratings for Monday’s show were down an almost unprecedented 20 per cent from the previous week, they may now face another dilemma when they lose popular presenter Dr. . Ranj should be replaced.
In audio obtained by The sundo you hear Dr. Ranj, 43, has opened up to host Johnny Seifert on his The Secure the Insecure Podcast about the impact the Holly and Phil saga is having on his mental health.
He said, ‘I’ve had a little wiggle this week where we’re kind of thinking, wait a minute, will I fit in here?
This Morning star Dr. Ranj (pictured) has confessed to weighing his future on the show amid the spectacular ongoing feud between hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield
ITV bosses face a dilemma as former best friends Holly and Phil continue to host This Morning despite falling off camera
Is this in line with my values? It feels like this isn’t the kind of environment I want to be a part of. And there’s been a lot of negativity around different parts that we’re all part of this process.
“Is this really a place for people like us where we think, wait a minute, this isn’t okay, you know, what’s going on and what we’re hearing doesn’t align with our values.”
Dr. Ranj, who was part of Strictly Come Dancing in 2018, also admitted he was going through something of an ‘identity crisis’ as a result of the behind-the-scenes ITV drama.
He went on to say he doesn’t know how he fits in now amidst the quarrels between people he knows well, but later insisted he’s “confident enough to be who I am.”
Dr. Ranj, who also presented ITV1’s Save Money Good Health with Sian Williams, added that he has his ‘core values’ regardless of what is going on around him.
His comments come as presenter Phil is said to have resisted calls to quit, despite his popularity with the show’s viewers taking a hit amid the ongoing off-screen dispute with Holly.
The awkward feud between the former best friends began in September when the pair faced criticism after avoiding the queue for the Queen in state.
The duo have so far failed to address their split since teaming up again on This Morning – when they returned to the bench for the fourth day after splitting when Phil took a break during his brother’s trial for sex crimes before Holly was knocked down with shingles.
To cut down on the awkwardness, today’s show opened with a brief speech from the robot, who described This Morning as ‘the UK’s number one breakfast show’.
Dr Ranj (left), 43, was heard opening up to Johnny Seifert on his The Secure the Insecure Podcast about the impact the Holly and Phil saga is having on his mental health
Dr. Ranj (pictured), who was part of Strictly Come Dancing in 2018, also admitted he was going through something of an ‘identity crisis’ as a result of the behind-the-scenes ITV drama.
But while social media users mocked the robot – joking that it was “Phil’s replacement,” body language expert Judi James described the move as a “welcome icebreaker” for the presenting duo.
“After their awkward, toe-curling body language moments this week, it was the best joke to have Holly and Phil replaced by a robot this morning,” she told MailOnline.
It comes as Holly and Phil are once again embarrassed when the Deputy Prime Minister used reports of their off-screen feud as fuel for an attack on Labor in the Commons.
Oliver Dowden, who replaces Rishi Sunak on the Prime Minister’s questions, described Opposition Leader Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner as ‘the Phil and Holly of British politics’.
Explaining his statement, Dowden said, “All dear dovey on the surface, they turn it on for the cameras, but once they’re off it’s a different story.” They’re flying at each other’s throats.’ An ITV insider described the MP’s comments as a ‘cheap opportunity’.
Yesterday, feuding Holly and Phil shared an awkward kiss after the former left early this morning so she could head to Buckingham Palace to introduce the Prince’s Trust Awards winners to King Charles
Today’s episode of This Morning kicked off with a robot TV viewers joked was ‘Phil’s replacement’
The embarrassing episode sparked yet another crisis meeting at the broadcaster, with a source saying, “Enough is enough.”
They added: ‘You know things get really serious when they’re mentioned in the House of Commons.
This is no longer just a bit of beef on Twitter.
“Those upstairs know to act—they just don’t know what to do.”
Another ITV insider described the situation between the two presenters as a ‘runaway train that can’t be stopped’.
Phil is standing his ground amid calls for his firing as his appeal to viewers is waning.
Oliver Dowden (pictured), who replaced Rishi Sunak at the Prime Minister’s questions yesterday, described Opposition Leader Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner as ‘the Phil and Holly of British politics’
Sources say it is giving ITV bosses a headache as they are desperate to keep Holly when they would be tempted to leave with her co-star.
One told the Mail: ‘Phil doesn’t see why he should go.
“It’s his job. He’s been running the show for over 20 years.”
This Morning fans continued to cringe after attempting to present a united front today saw Holly, 42, give Phil a kiss and hug goodbye as she left the show early.
Her early departure was a pre-planned commitment to present the winners of the Prince’s Trust to King Charles at Buckingham Palace.
After a shock drop of 1,000 viewers in a week, Tuesday’s episode fared slightly better, averaging 663,000 viewers. Yesterday drew just 551,000 – up from 647,000 on Wednesday last week.
The maximum viewership also dropped significantly, from 905,000 to 683,000 – a big deal for ITV bosses hoping to put out this feud in its entirety.