Phillip Schofield apparently missed Holly Willoughby’s TV comeback over the weekend.
The former This Morning star is believed to be’still hurt’ by how he and his co-host had an apparent falling out behind the scenes as their friendship deteriorated, so he didn’t watch Dancing On Ice.
Schofield resigned from ITV last year for lying about a ‘unwise but not illegal’ romance with a junior staff member, while Willoughby departed This Morning in October due to an alleged kidnapping plan.
It was eventually announced that she will still be presenting Dancing On Ice, with Stephen Mulhern replacing Schofield when the programme returned on Sunday night.
‘Phil is still bruised by the whole Holly falling-out and the way it was played out publicly. He still can’t bring himself to watch This Morning and even listening to the theme tune is deeply triggering,’ a source told The Sun.
‘It would seem unlikely he is avidly tuning in to watch Holly’s return to TV. Phil just wants to move on and live a quiet life away from the spotlight whilst he tries to rebuild.’
The insider said that while Schofield ‘offered his support’ during the alleged kidnapping plan, they haven’t spoken since.
They said: ‘He reached out to offer his support when the awful kidnap news broke but it’s understood they have not been in contact since, so he’s probably not spoken to Holly ahead of her DOI return.’
Schofield and Willoughby’s bond had seemed deteriorated even before their departures from This Morning.
Following Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022, the two found themselves in hot trouble when they were accused of missing the line to see the late monarch lying in state at Westminster Abbey.
Despite ITV issued a statement in their defence and the presenters maintaining that they did not breach any regulations or take anyone’s spot in the queue, the criticism persisted for months.
There had been previous allegations that Phillip and Holly’s relationship had deteriorated behind the scenes, with both insisting that they had always remained as close as possible throughout the years.
