TV couple Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield‘ are ‘not as close as they once were’ and now barely speak off camera , it was claimed today.
The ITV stars became ‘great friends’ having first met on Dancing on Ice and they have presented This Morning together since 2009. She was also described as his ‘rock’ when he came out as gay live on This Morning in 2020.
But their relationship is said to have become strained in recent months. They came under fire when they were accused of skipping the queue to see the Queen lying-in-state last September.
Mr Schofield took three weeks off in March as his brother convicted of child sex offences. In his absence Ms Willoughby was paired with Alison Hammond and ITV bosses were said to be overjoyed and are now looking for more opportunities to pair them up.
And Holly, 42, has reportedly made it clear she wants to remain hosting the ITV daytime show if Phillip, 61, ever expressed an interest in leaving.
An insider 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. It has become an open secret that things aren’t as rosy as they once were.
‘To those around them on set, it has become clear recently that Holly and Phil are not as close as they once were. Professionally you would have no idea there was anything going on because on camera they are acting exactly the same, but behind the scenes their relationship has cooled.’
‘Their relationship has cooled’: It has been claimed that Holly, 42, has made it clear she would remain hosting the ITV daytime show if Phillip, 61, ever expressed an interest in leaving
Holly and Phil faced growing backlash over claims they ‘skipped the queue’ at Westminster Hall to see the Queen lying in state
Phillip Schofield returned to This Morning after three weeks and thanked viewers for their support after his brother was convicted of child abuse
‘Not as close’: The duo have presented This Morning together for 14 years but their relationship has reportedly come under strain in recent months
The same sources said that Holly and Phillip’s banter and ‘camaraderie’ off-camera was not the same and had ‘dwindled’.
An insider also claimed that the pair do not often speak to each other unless on camera while hosting This Morning.
Another insider added: ‘It has become an open secret that things aren’t as rosy as they once were, Holly however has made her position clear and that is that she wants to remain at the heart of This Morning.’
Mr Schofield has had a tumultuous few months, taking a break from work when his brother.
Issues are said to have been going on for some time behind the scenes on the show and the pair are reportedly more distant than they once were.
MailOnline has contacted Holly and Phillip’s representatives for comment. ITV declined to comment.
The presenting duo have worked together for more than a decade after Holly took over from Fern Britton as Phillip’s co-host back in 2009.
Holly joined the This Morning team three years after she started hosting Dancing On Ice in 2006, while Phillip first appeared on the chat show years earlier in 2002.
Holly and Phillip have since left viewers in hysterics with their on and off-screen antics, which has included plenty of boozy holidays with their respective families.
Bond: Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield’s relationship has ‘cooled’ off-screen and the co-hosts are ‘not as close as they once were’, it has been claimed
Co-hosts: The presenting duo (pictured in November 2009) have worked together for more than a decade after Holly took over from Fern Britton as Phillip’s co-host back in 2009
They have previously spoken about their close bond and have gushed over how This Morning is a ‘family’ to them rather than just a job.
After returning to the show following his annual summer holiday last August, Phillip described the show as a ‘support group’ for him.
‘It’s like ‘What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!’ Everyone knows everything about everybody, and that’s nice… so I always miss that friendship group,’ he explained.
‘This Morning is more than just a show, it’s such a lovely group of people to come to work with and you do miss that – it’s not really a job.
‘It’s more than a job, it’s much much more than that… and I’m not gonna lie, This Morning is one of my support groups and that’s a lovely thing to have.’
While Holly echoed Phillip’s sentiments as she described the show as ‘one big family’.
Gushing over their friendship, Phillip previously described his co-host as ‘sensitive, kind, intuitive, spiritual, and a friend’, while Holly called him ‘playful, very loyal, kind, very funny, and a friend’.
They are notorious for their amusing antics on the breakfast show, sending fans into fits of laughter as they arrived to the show in the clothes from the night before following a boozy night at the National Television Awards back in 2016.
Friendship: Holly and Phillip (pictured in 2012) have previously spoken about their close bond and have gushed over how This Morning is a ‘family’ to them rather than just a job
Close: The pair (pictured in 2012) have left viewers in hysterics with their on and off-screen antics, which has included plenty of boozy holidays with their respective families
And the pair reflected on their raucous antics back in 2019, when they nostalgically marked their 10th anniversary together on This Morning.
Marking the milestone, Phil said at the time: ‘They always say ”time flies if you’re having fun” and we have such a ball, such fun together and so the time has whizzed by.
While Holly added: ‘It doesn’t feel like 10 years. It’s gone super-duper fast, but it’s been so amazing. The best mark I’ve got of that time is that it’s the same age as [my son] Harry.
‘So, as I’ve watched him grow, I know how long I’ve been on This Morning, so that’s always a visual reminder of how long I’ve been there.’
