
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have long anchored the popular ITV show This Morning.
The pair, who were formerly best friends on and off-screen, have been on the show since 2009, with Phil originally appearing in 2002 with Fern Britton.
According to the most recent reports, the co-stars are “barely speaking” and their “once close relationship has cooled.”
In response to charges of a schism, Phillip said in a statement, ‘The preceding few weeks haven’t been easy for any of us,’ but he and Holly were still ‘the greatest of friends,’ referring to her as “his rock.”
So, were there any signals of a rift among the TV hosts that you missed? Or rebuttals to prior declarations that ruled out the idea of a feud?
Let us look at it.
Holly and Phil start working together – 2006 to 2009
Fern would later say of her departure: ‘I began not to enjoy it so much and the morning I resigned, I didn’t know I was going to resign.’
‘We elected not to live in each other’s pockets,’ she once stated of her and Phil’s professional relationship. We had a terrific business relationship, but we never went on vacation together.’
Since since, Holly and Phil have co-hosted This Morning, though Holly did take a hiatus from Dancing On Ice from 2011 until 2017.
Holly presents I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here – November 2018
In May 2019, the series she co-hosted won a BAFTA, with Ant and Dec making sure Holly took centre stage for the winning speech.
Later reports said Phil was ‘jealous’ of Holly’s success on the show, and that he didn’t want Holly to discuss the BAFTA on This Morning.
However, even before the BAFTA triumph, the TV presenter attempted to dismiss claims of envy on Twitter.
Around the launch of 2018’s I’m A Celeb, Phil joked with a fan who asked if he was jealous on Twitter, writing: ‘Sooo jealous lol’.
Sooooo jealous lol https://t.co/eHWfwe5YoF
— Phillip Schofield (@Schofe) November 18, 2018
Holly ‘eclipses’ Phil – June 2019
A Sunday Times magazine cover article was also claimed to have sparked controversy.
The April 2019 issue of Vogue included a shot of the couple side by side, with a crown painted on Holly’s head.
The headline beneath it read ‘Queen Holly’, and declared that she’d ‘eclipsed’ Phil to become ‘Britain’s hottest TV star’.
There was ‘tension’ about the cover in June, with accusations that Phil was ‘fuming’.
Holly, on the other hand, paid a special homage to Phil on her Instagram page on Father’s Day.
Beside a snap of them smiling together, she penned: ‘Talking of important men in my life on Fathers Day. Here’s another one.
‘My partner on the telly and one of my best friends in the world… love you @schofe.’
In June 2019, reports appeared of an alleged conflict between Phillip and fellow TV personality Amanda Holden.
Rumours of rifts with Holly and Ruth Langsford – December 2019
More rumours circulated concerning Holly and Phil’s closeness.
An ITV representative dismissed the allegations of This Morning feuds as “gossip.”
They stated: ‘It’s deeply disappointing and unfair for Phillip to be the target of this sort of malicious gossip.
‘Phillip is a much respected broadcaster and colleague and this is absolutely not a description of This Morning that we recognise.
‘Holly and Phil are great friends both on and off screen and are popular among viewers and colleagues alike.’
Phil comes out as gay on This Morning – February 2020
At the beginning of the chat, Holly grabbed Phil’s hand, saying: ‘I have never been more proud of my friend than I am today’ – later telling him she’d ‘be by his side forever’.
As the poignant part came to an end, Ruth and Eamonn approached Phillip and gave him a great hug.
Holly and Phil speak out about the rumours – 2020 to 2021
In October 2020, Phillip addressed the feud rumours on Chris Evans’ podcast How to Wow.
He said on the show: ‘There was not and there has never been a feud with Holly.
‘When they’re writing ‘Phillip and Holly feud’, we couldn’t have been closer, because I’d told her my secret and she was holding me together at work.’
This Morning’s long-standing Friday presenters Eamonn and Ruth were replaced at this time by Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, who remained as holiday presenters.
Holly also addressed the long-running reports of a rupture on Fearne Cotton’s podcast Happy Place in 2021.
She shared: ‘That [the rumours] was a particularly difficult time. But I remember having a conversation with Phil and it was like, ‘But we know’.
‘I have to believe that, as long as you know inside, and you know the truth – you know your truth – then everything is okay.’
Queuegate over the late Queen’s lying-in-state – September 2022
Holly and Phil were both chastised following the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
As part of their role as This Morning broadcasters, they were accused of ‘jumping the queue’ to pay their respects to the late Queen while she lay-in-state at Westminster Hall.
Addressing the backlash, Holly Willoughby said on the programme: ‘The rules were that we would be quickly escorted around the edges to a platform at the back.
‘In contrast, those paying their respects walked along a carpeted area beside the coffin and were given time to pause.
‘None of the journalists and broadcasters there took anyone’s place in the queue and no one filed past the Queen.
‘We, of course, respected those rules. However, we realise that it may have looked like something else and therefore totally understand the reaction.
‘Please know that we would never jump a queue.’
Many viewers, however, were dissatisfied with the comment, and the criticism lasted for some time.
Phil doesn’t appear on Holly’s Instagram for months and she changes her Twitter bio – early 2023
This year, eagle-eyed fans have noticed that Phillip hasn’t appeared on Holly’s Instagram for several months.
Instead, the TV personality has been posting her typical wardrobe photos and the occasional picture with This Morning fave Alison Hammond and guest This Morning co-hosts like Joel Dommett.
Fans have also alleged that Holly’s Twitter bio has altered, with the emphasis now shifting to her qualifications as a presenter, author, and creator of lifestyle firm Wylde Moon.
Previously, it was written: ‘I was introduced to this by a ‘Twitter legend!’ – although it’s unclear when the move occurred.
Backstage tensions and Phil’s shock statement – May 2023
In May 2023, it was claimed that Holly and Phil were ‘barely speaking’ to one another.
A source claimed to The Sun: ‘To those around them on set, it has become clear recently that Holly and Phil are not as close as they once were…

‘Behind the scenes their relationship has cooled. Before there would be a lot of banter and camaraderie off camera but that has dwindled.’
‘As I have previously stated, Holly is my rock,’ Phillip promptly responded in a statement to the publication.
‘We’re the best of friends – as always, she is an incredible support on screen, behind the scenes and on the phone.
‘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.’
It was then reported that Holly was’surprised’ by his public statements, and that she learned about them for the first time online.
However, at the time of writing, Holly had not made any public pronouncements.
The couple has had a lot on their plates recently, with Phillip missing several weeks of This Morning to attend his brother’s sex assault trial, and when he returned in April, Holly was recovering from shingles.
In the most recent twist, both were omitted from a teaser for next Monday’s broadcast of This Morning.
Each week, the team hosts the midday show from Monday through Thursday, frequently appearing in a commercial that airs during Friday’s broadcasts. However, the commercial that ran this week showed no evidence of the couple.
All eyes will undoubtedly be on ITV at 10 a.m. on Monday.