Phillip Schofield: statement about Holly Willoughby explained amid reports of This Morning 'feud'

Phillip Schofield has finally responded to clear up any rumours of a feud between him and This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby in an extraordinary statement. It followed a number of reports that the pair had fallen out amid fears from ITV viewers who believed there was tension between them in Wednesday's (10 May) episode of the daytime show.

That same day, The Sun published an exclusive claim that Phill and Holly "barely speak" away from the camera and that issues between them had "rumbled on for some time". But in a bid to alleviate concerns surrounding the dynamic duo's relationship, Schofield filed an official response to the rumours.

Schofield and Willoughby have presented This Morning on a regular basis since 2009 after Willoughby replaced Fern Britton. They also present various other programmes, including ITV's Dancing on Ice.

What did Phillip Schofield say in his statement about Holly Willoughby 'feud'?

Schofield described Willoughby as his "rock" and wanted to make it clear that the pair are as close as ever off the back of difficult times. He described them as "the best of friends".

The statement reads: "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. My family went through a real ordeal, and Holly's support throughout meant the world to me - as did the support of my bosses at ITV, my editor Martin Frizell and the whole This Morning family, including our amazing viewers. Whatever happens, we still have each other to count on."

What has been said about Phillip Schofield's 'feud' with Holly Willoughby?

A source reportedly told The Sun: "Holly adores This Morning and for the first time in 14 years she has made it clear that should Phil ever leave, she would want to stay. They are separate entities. 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."

It had also been reported that the rumoured breakdown of their relationship was not helped by the duo's regular absences from the ITV daytime show. Willoughby took around a week off workto recover from shingles.

While Schofield recently took planned leave around the time of his brother, Timothy Schofield's sex abuse trial last month, who was convicted of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two counts of sexual activity with a child. On his return to This Morning, Schofield posted an official statement released by his lawyer after the verdict to publicly disown his sibling.