Is the Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield fall-out boosting figures and actually helping ITV ratings?

Over the past week there have been multiple sources claiming the pair have fallen out. ITV bosses are reportedly 'besides themselves' after learning that the audience had dropped an almost unprecedented 20 per cent.

Holly and Phil allegedly barely speak to each other after the cameras stop rolling and now producers are in crisis talks and lawyers are even being called in. I’m not a fan of TV soaps but this live drama has got me hooked. 

I have watched the show on and off as a dose of light-hearted lifestyle entertainment but I wouldn’t say I watch it every day un-till now. This week I've had it on TV without fail. Tuning in and waiting to see if the pair discuss their falling out, hoping they cover it in the in the usual ‘headlines of the day’ segment. Or even making the phone-in topic with Vanessa Feltz or resident agony aunt Deidre about ‘how to fix falling out with your best friend?'

The TV hosts act super professional and completely avoid discussing anything about their feud or anything related to it. Despite the ‘fake’ compliments and over the top niceness to each other it has still got us all watching. 

Recent figures from the ITV programme showed that the viewings had dropped by 170,000 viewers on Monday’s episode. However according to Mail Online compared to the previous week Tuesday's ratings rose from 622,730 to 663,000 that’s an extra 40,270 more viewers than the day before. 

If an extra 40,000 people were to tune in everyday that's an average of over 200,000 viewers a week, not too shabby for a daytime show. 

Most people online are saying that Holly and Phil should quit and this is the end for the presenting duo but if the ratings continue to go up and everyone is talking about it I can’t see them getting rid of them anytime soon. 

Phineas T. Barnum once said “All publicity is good publicity” which is very true in this case because the more Holly and Phil continue pretending everything is fine and avoid speaking publicly about it the more we will watch.