Phillip Schofield ‘turns off’ parts of his social media amid ‘feud’ with This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby
16 May 2023, 16:09 | Updated: 16 May 2023, 16:16
This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield has limited public access to his social media amid ongoing rumours of a rift between him and co-host Holly Willoughby.
Phillip Schofield has taken a social media hiatus and blocked users from commenting on his Instagram posts amid ongoing feud rumours about him and Holly Willoughby.
His disappearance from social media has been highlighted, as he usually posts daily without any restrictions on his commenting section.
The host's last post was a week ago and comment restrictions have been implemented on the last uploads before his hiatus.
It comes after the 61-year-old released a statement last week about his relationship with Holly, as he said described the co-host as his “rock” and said she “has always been there for” him.
But he also shared the “last few weeks haven’t been easy” for the pair.
The statement was a shock to both Holly and channel bosses, as reports have claimed neither received any warning before the statement was published.
A source told the the Mirror the rumoured feud is a “PR disaster totally of his own making”.
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Allegations about the duo left people speculating over the weekend as to whether they would return to the sofa on Monday –and fans were left surprised after both co-hosts made a return to the show.
The pair appeared to put on a united front in the heavily anticipated episode, but viewers suggested there was a tangible awkwardness between the two.
One viewer posted: “How fake is this? Wow, couldn’t trust these two actors."
While another said: "Phillip Schofield thinks he can fool us with this fake nice 'everything is fine act' when Holly looks visibly uncomfortable being there."
Concerns about the pair’s relationship has sent ITV into “crisis talks” according to reports, as channel bosses consider Phillip’s future on the daytime show.
One source told the Daily Mail: “Social media is used as a barometer to see what the public think. Those in charge were left no under no illusion that it was a total disaster.
“It was painful for the This Morning team to work on and it was just as painful for them to watch.
“There was a meeting afterwards to discuss how it went that went on for some time. To be honest, everyone was just so relieved to get it over with, but even if the show does continue to go on for some time, it will continue to be a massive headache.”
It follows the conviction of Phillip’s brother, Timothy Schofield, who was found guilty of child sex offences in April and is to be sentenced later this week.
Holly’s team has yet to directly address the rumours of a conflict but she released the latest instalment of her weekly newsletter today, where she emphasised the importance of creating a “future filled with joy”.
