According to sources, Holly Willoughby was not expecting Phillip Schofield to issue a statement amid speculations of a rift between the two.
This week, speculation emerged that the This Morning co-stars are ‘barely communicating’ despite being close friends for many years.
It’s said their friendship has started to ‘dwindle’, with a source revealing: ‘To those around them on set, it has become clear recently that Holly and Phil are not as close as they once were.
‘Professionally you would have no idea there was anything going on because on camera they are acting exactly the same.’
They added to The Sun: ‘But behind the scenes their relationship has cooled.’
In reaction to the accusations of a feud, Phil, 61, stated that he and his Dancing On Ice co-host, 42, are still “best friends.”
Phil said: ‘As I have said before, Holly is my rock.
‘We’re the best of friends — as always, she is an incredible support on screen, behind the scenes and on the phone.’
He continued to The Sun: ‘Holly has always been there for me, through thick and thin. And I’ve been there for her.
‘The last few weeks haven’t been easy for either of us.’
Recent weeks have seen changes to their ITV daytime programme, as Holly suffered from shingles, requiring Alison Hammond and Rochelle Humes to fill in.
Meanwhile, Joel Dommett filled Phil’s place when he was on vacation from the programme due to his brother Timothy Schofield’s sexual assault prosecution.
In the newest development, Holly’s close friend has said that Phil’s comments caught her off guard.
An insider told the Daily Mail that Holly had no idea Phillip was going to make a statement.
It’s reported that she viewed it for the first time when it was published online.
Holly and Phil have co-hosted This Morning for 14 years.
They originally appeared on the famous show together in 2009 and have since gone on to become one of the most popular duos on British television.
Indeed, Phil has referred to Holly as a ‘rock’ on various occasions, most notably when he came out as homosexual on the programme in 2020 with Holly at his side.
Holly was also there for Phil when his brother – with whom Phil has since severed all relations – was convicted guilty of sexually abusing a teenage boy over a three-year period.
At the time, a source told Mail Online: ‘Holly is loyal to Phil and she will always be there for him.’
‘And she will always be there for This Morning too. She sees it as her role to keep things going.’
