Holly Willoughby‘s remarks on This Morning regarding Phillip Schofield elicited anger, compassion, and derision, with one MP even mocking her speech.
On Monday the 42-year-old returned to the ITV show following the departure of her former co-host, claiming she was’shaken’ and ‘let down’ after the 61-year-old admitted to lying about an affair he had with a younger runner on the show.
‘Right, deep breath,’ Holly began her message to her audience. First and foremost, are you okay? I’m hoping so.’
Her address has been compared to a scene in the fictional TV drama The Morning Show, in which Jennifer Aniston‘s character speaks about her colleague, played by Steve Carell, leaving his role, saying, ‘And to you at home, I understand how you must be feeling because I and the whole team here at The Morning Show are feeling the same way.’
On Tuesday, June 6, Magnus Brooke, Group Director of Strategy, Policy, and Regulation at ITV, attended a Culture, Media, and Sport Committee hearing on the Draught Media Bill.
MP John Nicolson began his interrogation of Brooke by stating, ‘I suppose I should ask first of all, are you ok?’
‘Am I okay?’ Brooke asked, gesturing towards himself. ‘Yes I’m fine, thank you.’
Nicolson then added: ‘Because I know that’s the question du jour at This Morning.’
Later on during the hearing, when a representative for Channel 4 was being questioned, a politician said: ‘Welcome to this place of warmth and magic’ – another reference to Willoughby’s statement.
She said in her message: ‘I hope that we start this new chapter and get back to a place of warmth and magic that this show holds for all of us, we can find strength in each other.’
Several Twitter users thought the start of Nicolson’s question humorous, characterising it as ‘iconic’ and ‘superb trolling’.
‘Should have said “deep breath” first but otherwise outstanding,’ another quipped.
Willoughby returned to This Morning on Tuesday, after apparently pledging never to discuss the Schofield incident again.
Josie Gibson joined her as a co-host, and she will present alongside Craig Doyle later this week.
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV.
