Vanessa Feltz has admitted appearing on This Morning for free as she praised former scandal-plagued presenter and friend Phillip Schofield.
The veteran broadcaster, 62, is now a regular face on the ITV show, but when she made her debut in 1992 she was an unknown magazine journalist. who was happy to work without pay because of her love for the series, which was then presented by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan.
After first appearing to discuss Sarah Ferguson’s toe-tucking scandal, she quickly made a name for herself and was invited numerous times.
Vanessa told me Radio times: ‘Without money for centuries, while my parents and husband all said: ‘Why are you doing that?’
“I told them, ‘Because I like it a lot, that’s why. It’s a lot of fun,'” That was probably a first in my life, and I didn’t say, “Yes, you’re right, I better not do it .”
Vanessa Feltz has admitted appearing on This Morning for free as she praised former scandal-plagued presenter and friend Phillip Schofield (pictured on the show in September)
Phillip quit last year this morning under a cloud of scandal after admitting to having an affair with a much younger male colleague (pictured on the show in 2023)
The veteran broadcaster is now a regular face on the ITV show, but when she made her debut in 1992 (pictured) she was an unknown magazine journalist happy to work without pay
This morning proved to be Vanessa’s big break and she became a household name and presented her own show on TV and radio.
She also praised former presenter Phillip, who quit This Morning last year under a cloud of scandal after admitting to an affair with a much younger male colleague.
While promoting her new autobiography Vanessa Bares All: Frank, Funny and Fearless, Vanessa name-checked some of her famous friends, including Phil.
She described him as “a huge support” who was there for her during his “significant trials and tribulations.”
Amid the scandal last year, Vanessa suggested stars who spoke out against This Morning hold a grudge against the show.
The likes of former host Eamonn Holmes, 64, and ex-resident doctor Ranj Singh, 44, criticized Phillip and This Morning after his departure.
Speaking on her Talk TV programme, Vanessa said: ‘It has been suggested that quite a few people are very vocally critical of This Morning.
‘And it’s actually a handful of people, there’s a few celebrities, a few journalists, and it’s suggested that quite a few of them were on the program at one time and are no longer on it.
After first appearing to discuss Sarah Ferguson’s toe scandal, she quickly made a name for herself and was invited numerous times (pictured on the show in 1994)
Vanessa said she worked unpaid because of her love of the series, which was then presented by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan (pictured 1990)
She described her friend and former colleague as ‘hugely supportive’ through his significant trials and tribulations’ (pictured on This Morning with Phil and Holly Willoughby)
“And that’s the reason for this hurt, grudging malice that’s coming out, but if you ask people who are still on the program and on it regularly, who are happy to be there, they won’t know what they are talking about. about.’
In October, Phil made a cautious return to the spotlight for the Channel 5 show Cast Away, which saw him fend for himself on a remote island for 10 days.
His comeback show saw him take aim at those ‘who betrayed him’ 16 months ago when he quit ITV’s This Morning.
In the programme, Phillip appeared to blame his dramatic fall from grace on a trio of his former ITV colleagues, saying: ‘I think there’s only three things [of showbiz].’
Radio Times is available now
He pointed out that one was a ‘coward who never stood up at Queuegate’, while another ‘is a coward because she never stood up when I was being abused’.
He claimed the third “is just brand-centric,” adding, “Not what you expect, not what you think you’re going to get.”
The three have since been revealed as Holly Willoughby and their old ITV bosses Martin Frizell and Emma Gormley.
Holly has now ruled out any reconciliation with her former best friend, who reportedly sent her a message on WhatsApp the day before news of his This Morning ax went public, claiming she had ‘brought him down’.
A source told MailOnline: ‘Holly and Phil’s friendship is definitely over, there is no way she will talk to him again after this.
‘Holly’s TV producer husband Dan is also furious at Phil’s behavior towards her.
‘From rumors of him calling her ‘the Witch’ in messages with friends to his cutting joke about the ‘three s***s in showbiz’ on his Channel 5 show Cast Away, Dan has really had enough.’
MailOnline contacted Holly’s representatives for comment at the time.
Read Vanessa’s interview now in the Radio Times.