Holly Willoughby was reportedly left blindsided after Phillip Schofield released a statement about their relationship, in which he said: “The last few weeks haven’t been easy for us.”
The This Morning duo were reported to have drifted behind the scenes, with claims emerging that Holly, 42, was ready to end their TV partnership.
But, according to Mail Online, Holly had no idea that Schofe would be releasing the statement, with her hearing of it for the first time when it was already online.
READ MORE: Phillip Schofield breaks silence on Holly ‘feud’ as he admits it ‘hasn’t been easy’
ITV’s golden duo have been under a lot of pressure in the past year and especially more recently.
They came under fire last year after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, when they were accused of jumping the queue to pay respects at her coffin.
Phil, 61, then was away from This Morning earlier this year when his brother Timothy was on trial for a subsequently convicted of child sex offences.
Holly was then off sick with shingles, which Phil also mentioned in his statement.
(Image: ITV)
He told The Sun: “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.
“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.”
Phillip then spoke of the ordeal in his family, with his brother Timothy, 54, due to be sentenced next week after he was convicted of 11 child sex offences in March.
The ITV star thanks Holly, his ITV bosses, This Morning crew, including editor Martin Frizell, and viewers.
A source told the publication it was “desperate stuff from Phil”, adding: “He knows the relationship has been strained.”
It’s a far cry from their friendship of past, with Holly being right there next to Phil and shedding a supportive tear as he came out as gay on This Morning.
They’ve also shared a number of hungover mornings on the ITV show, including the infamous time they hosted still wearing their outfits from the National Television Awards and looking worse for wear.
But now Holly has reportedly made it clear that she wants to stay on the show, even if Phil decides to go – and there are reports that Schofe may not return to the show when his contract runs out over the summer.
A source told MailOnline that This Morning editor Martin Frizell had also cooled down his support for Phil, claiming he’s “fed up of clearing up Schofield’s mess”.
Daily Star has contacted a representative for Holly for comment.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
