Holly Willoughby‘s statement addressing Phillip Schofield‘s affair scandal was met with a tepid response this morning.
The host, 42, told This Morning’s viewers ‘we gave our love and support to someone who was not telling the truth’ as she returned to the show for the first time since Phillip’s exit in the wake of news he had an affair with a younger male colleague.
But viewers hit out at the ‘melodramatic, scripted and soulless words’, which she read out while seemingly on the brink of tears alongside co-host Josie Gibson – while others lauded Holly for her bravery.
Phillip, who described his relationship with the younger colleague as ‘ill-advised but not illegal’, said Holly was not aware of the affair. In an interview last week, he said Holly was ignoring his messages apologising and pleading for forgiveness.
Shock: Holly Willoughby’s statement regarding Phillip Schofield’s affair scandal was met with a tepid response this morning
Hurt: Holly, 42, said ‘we gave our love and support to someone who was not telling the truth’ as she returned to This Morning amid Phillip’s exit from the show in the wake of news he had an affair with a much younger male colleague
Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on the sofa of ITV’s This Morning last month, on May 11
Unconvinced users penned: ‘Omg Absolutely shocking statement. It’s only derivative is to bring Phil down more, poor Holly poor me. Also shows how much she despises him & couldn’t care less. ITV whoever wrote this needs sacking…
‘Horrible message. I’m done. Switched over & won’t be watching… Amazing how she is emotional one moment and the next she’s all giggles she is so glowing this morning like the cat that got the cream…
‘Holly im sorry I don’t belive a word you say!!!I’ve turned off and won’t be watching again till there’s a new host!… Dear oh dear. Who is in charge here and thought this was a good idea? ITV are so out of touch with their audience…
Shocking: Many viewers were unconvinced by the apology
Reaching out: She was fighting back tears during the emotional interview
‘Well, she just threw him under the bus ! Shame on you Holly and your PR team… Enough now on this please… My one and only comment on this. Scripted and souless…
‘She did well to hold it together although the language was a bit melodramatic, like surely we aren’t all ‘shaken and troubled’ by this especially when anyone on social media has known for years lol.’
One viewer went as far as likening Holly’s statement to the vmoment in 2020, when then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock appeared to cry on Good Morning Britain when 81-year-old William Shakespeare received one of the first Covid vaccines.
He was accused of faking the tears as he was later caught kissing his closest aide, Gina Coladangelo, in his ministerial office – in breach of his own Covid-19 guidelines – after which he resigned from the cabinet.
Tough: Similarly, in his interview with the Sun, the presenter apologised to Holly for lying to her about his relationship, saying: ‘I’ve lost my best friend’
‘The same energy’: One viewer went as far as likening Holly’s statement to the vmoment in 2020, when then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock appeared to cry on Good Morning Britain when 81-year-old William Shakespeare received one of the first Covid vaccines
Other social media users however praised the star, writing: ‘Tbh I feel so sorry for Holly and I think her statement was short and to the point; good on her I say…
‘Very appropriate. Holly is NOT responsible for Phil. No colleague is responsible for what another colleague does or does not do, no matter how closely the working relationship. End of… Holly, you did well under the circumstances…
‘Give it a rest now let the people who need to deal with it do so. Of course it’s scripted she’s going to know what she needs to say. Phil’s the one in the wrong here. Love Josie she’s a breath of fresh air! Good luck girls…
‘I’m feeling sorry for Holly & for everyone who Phil lied too.’
Divided: Other social media users were more convinced by the statement
Speaking out: Last week, Phillip attempted to remedy the scandal with his BBC interview
In her full statement, Holly said: ‘Hi there. Good morning. Josie (Gibson), thank you for being here. Right, deep breath. Firstly, are you OK? It feels very strange indeed sitting here without Phil.
‘And I imagine that you might have been feeling a lot like I have – shaken, troubled, let down, worried for the wellbeing of people on all sides of what’s been going on, and full of questions.
‘You, me and all of us at This Morning gave our love and support to someone who was not telling the truth, who acted in a way that they themselves felt that they had to resign from ITV, and step down from a career that they loved. That is a lot to process.
‘And it’s equally hard to see the toll that it’s taken on their own mental health. I think what unites us all now is a desire to heal for the health and wellbeing of everyone.
‘I hope that, as we start this new chapter and get back to a place of warmth and magic that this show holds for all of us, we can find strength in each other.
‘And, from my heart, can I just say thank you for all of your kind messages. And thank you for being here this morning. Myself, Josie (Gibson), Dermot (O’Leary), Alison (Hammond), Craig (Doyle), and every single person that works on this show will continue to work hard every single day to bring you this show that we love.’
She then hugged Josie, before continuing the show.
Prior to the show airing, friends of Phillip said he would not tune in to watch Willoughby’s return to the sofa as it would be too ‘triggering’ for him, especially the opening credits.
It comes after he said he ‘didn’t tell anybody’ about his affair with his former This Morning colleague, confirming in a tell-all interview with BBC’s Amol Rajan that Willoughby ‘did not know’.
Similarly, in his interview with the Sun, the presenter apologised to Holly for lying to her about his relationship, saying: ‘I’ve lost my best friend.’
He added: ‘I let her (Holly) down. I let that entire show down. I let the viewers down. Holly did not know (about the affair) and she was one of the first texts that I sent, to say: ‘I am so, so sorry that I lied to you’.
‘She didn’t reply and I understand why she didn’t reply as well. So, yeah, if anyone is in any way linking Holly to this, that is -absolutely, wholly untrue.’
The duo, who had presented the show together since 2009 and also co-hosted Dancing On Ice before Schofield resigned from ITV, had been open about their close friendship over the years.
Willoughby’s return comes as the ITV show has been plagued by allegations of ‘toxicity’, including from former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes who has alleged there was a ‘total cover-up’ over the Schofield affair.
The show’s former resident doctor, Dr Ranj Singh, also hit out at a ‘toxic’ culture, saying he raised concerns about ‘bullying and discrimination’ two years ago when he worked there and afterwards felt like he was ‘managed out’ for whistleblowing.
In a letter from ITV boss Dame Carolyn McCall to Parliament on Wednesday, she said an external review conducted following a complaint made by Dr Ranj found ‘no evidence of bullying or discrimination’.
Embattled: Phillip spoke to the BBC’s Amol Rajan last week about his affair
Meanwhile, former This Morning head of news Emily Maddick, who worked on the show from September to December 2019, claimed she quit the programme due to ‘bullying, sexism and a toxic culture of fear and intimidation’.
On Saturday, This Morning editor Frizell told a Sky News reporter to ‘read between the lines’ amid claims of toxicity, adding: ‘I think there’s some scores being settled.’
Dame Carolyn has been called to a parliamentary committee on June 14 to answer questions about the broadcaster’s approach to safeguarding and complaint handling following Schofield’s exit.
Last Wednesday, she confirmed the broadcaster had instructed barrister Jane Mulcahy KC of Blackstone Chambers to carry out an external review of the facts.
Phillip Schofield with his wife Stephanie Lowe and daughters Molly and Ruby in London in 2018