This Morning bosses are reportedly hesitant to air Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby’s Westminster Abbey segment after viewers claimed the TV duo appeared to jump the queue.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, mourners were lining the streets in their thousands to pay their respects at London’s Westminster Hall before her funeral on Monday September 19.
Among them were the daytime presenters, who looked sombre as they entered the hall on Friday September 16 to view the coffin.
An ITV source told Metro.co.uk that the hosts were there as credited members of the press, filming for Tuesday’s episode of This Morning.
After celebrities including David Beckham and Susanna Reid were pictured in line, people slammed the Holly and Phillip after they appeared inside the venue without having taken part of the public queue, where the majority waited for 14 hours.
Although programme bosses strongly denied claims they skipped the queue, a petition was later created for them to be axed from television altogether.
According to The Mirror, show executives are ‘torn’ over whether they should include the segment in Tuesday’s show.
Responding to the intense criticism, ITV posted a statement on Instagram.
‘Hello everyone, we would like to clarify something,’ the statement read. ‘We asked Phillip and Holly to be part of a film for this Tuesday’s programme.
‘They did not jump the queue, have VIP access or file past the Queen lying in state – but instead were there in a professional capacity as part of the world’s media to report on the event.’
Celebrities have rushed to defend Holly and Phillip amid the backlash, with The Chase’s Anne Hegerty writing: ‘My understanding is that Holly and Phil weren’t in a VIP line, they were in a press line and about to do a piece to camera.’
She elsewhere commented: ‘When you work, it’s a gig. When you get paid for that work, it’s a paid gig,’ and in a separate Tweet, addressed the backlash, writing: ‘You’re all being extremely rude.’
While former SAS: Who Dares Wins instructor Ant Middleton urged everyone to give the long-serving hosts a break.
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am o ITV.
