‘This Morning’ will be about Holly Willoughby when she returns in September after ITV bosses decided not to make big bucks from hiring Phillip Schofield.
The Chron can reveal the star will instead have rotating co-hosts when she hosts the imperiled show Mondays to Thursdays, rather than bosses poaching a bigger star from a rival show or broadcaster as they try to restore what was once the crown jewel to its glory days following the recent scandal.
This Morning insiders say it will primarily be Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle, although 42-year-old Holly will be sporadically joined by Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond, who currently host on Fridays and Bank Holidays.
It means Holly’s dream of dating 48-year-old Alison has been dashed because she’s too busy to work on the daytime show for four days, insiders say.
Holly, who is currently on family holiday in the Algarve, will sign a new deal “any day” which will be even more lucrative than the £700,000 deal she has already secured.
Plan: ‘This Morning’ will be about Holly Willoughby when she returns in September after ITV bosses decided not to make big bucks from hiring Phillip Schofield (Holly pictured in May)
Variety: Holly, 42, will instead have rotating co-hosts when she hosts the under-threat show Monday through Thursday, rather than bosses poaching a bigger star from a rival show (Holly pictured with Phillip Schofield in May before his departure This Morning)
Insiders at ITV say this system not only means she’s ‘queen bee’ but also avoids a row between two main presenters like hers with Phillip.
An ITV source said; “The idea of finding the next Phil to sit next to Holly was ignored by This Morning bosses.” It will be Holly, along with the rotating presenter, who will be chosen to join her. It’s essentially going to be Holly’s show.
“The bosses are hoping they can put the entire Schofield scandal behind them and focus on the content of the show rather than the two they’re presenting.” That way, at least, there’s no falling out.
“Holly is so excited about the plan, she loves Josie, Craig, Alison and Dermot.” It’s a happy ship and she’s made the decision not to quit but to come back and continue things at the helm. Holly is determined to take on the challenge to make the show a success again.”
Sources at ITV have compared the presentation setup to that of Good Morning Britain following Piers Morgan’s departure two years ago.
Susannah Reid is the main presenter and will be joined by Richard Madeley, Ed Balls and Martin Lewis on Monday through Wednesday episodes. Ben Shepherd, Kate Garraway and Ranvir Singh will take the helm for the remainder of the week.
The Mail on Sunday revealed yesterday that Holly is set to return to ‘This Morning’ to save it after Phillip admitted he was having an affair with a much younger colleague – and then lied about it.
Following the Phillip scandal two months ago, Holly has decided to take an extra long break until autumn, according to The Sun.
Stars: This Morning insiders say the presenters will mainly be Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle (pictured last month)
Host: Holly is sporadically joined by Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond, who currently host on Fridays and Bank Holidays (pictured this month).
Co-stars Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond have stepped in to mentor her Monday through Friday.
Holly, who works Monday through Thursday, typically works five days a week during the last week before her summer break.
Holly and Phillip bid farewell to the show ahead of its six-week summer break and shared a goodbye message with fans.
However, in a departure from the usual, the star bade farewell to viewers with her usual farewell message: “See you then, bye,” without mentioning her upcoming vacation.
Phillip resigned from ITV after admitting he had an affair with a much younger male colleague from This Morning in an “unwise but not illegal” relationship.
In an Instagram post published earlier this month, the heads of Holly’s brand, Wylde Moon, wrote about the first supermoon of 2023 and how it can bring “clarity” about “intense emotions.”
It read: “Today’s full moon is the first supermoon of 2023. As the moon in Capricorn contrasts the sun in Cancer, it encourages you to merge all thoughts and feelings.”
“This alignment suggests that intense emotions can bring clarity and reveal the necessary actions you need to move forward.’ Hear, Learn, Love.’
Scandal: Phillip has apologized to Holly, who presented This Morning with him for 14 years, for lying about his secret relationship with his colleague (centre) and damaging her public image
Comeback: Holly and co-host Josie Gibson held hands on This Morning when Holly returned to the show last month
Relief: Holly Willoughby appears emotional alongside co-host Josie Gibson and they hug
Brand executives added in a caption: “The July full moon is known as the buck moon because male deer, also known as bucks, grow their antlers in full splendor and majesty.”
“It’s a time when the bucks shed their old antlers and put out new ones that grow larger and more impressive with each passing year.”
Since Phillip’s retirement, This Morning has been plagued with allegations of “toxicity,” including from the show’s former resident Dr. Ranj Singh, who raised concerns about “bullying and discrimination” and afterwards felt like he had been “pulled out” for whistleblowing.
dr Ranj – who is now a resident of BBC’s Morning Live – said he thought “long and hard” before commenting on the scandal that gripped ITV but then decided to take a stand “in the light of recent events”.
In a lengthy Instagram post, he wrote, “I was on the show for 10 years and really loved and appreciated working there.” However, over time, I became increasingly concerned about how things were going behind the scenes and how people, including myself, were being treated.
“I didn’t know the truth about what was going on with Philip [sic], but I know the problems with TM go far beyond him. “It takes more than one person to create a culture.”
The TV medic confirmed he had raised concerns about the behavior of editors and senior producers to ITV and subsequently saw his airtime drop.
“So I did what I thought was right and as ITV confirmed last night, I have raised my concerns with Emma Gormley – particularly given that it is my job to look after people’s well-being and I have been heavily involved with diversity, anti-bullying and mental health projects across the channel.”
Speaking up: Phillip insisted he was taking some time off from television when he opened up about the situation in an interview with the BBC last month
“I then found that I was being used less and less,” said the doctor online. He added that he felt “overwhelmed” and described the culture at the fair as “toxic”.
“I even raised my concerns directly with ITV’s top management: the culture on This Morning has become toxic, no longer in line with ITV values and I felt like I was being kicked out for my whistleblowing.”
“But as history and experience have taught us, things like bullying and discrimination are very difficult to prove, especially in hindsight and when those in power are in control of the narrative. As we have seen, no review of an investigation is foolproof.
“Nevertheless, I was assured that certain things would be addressed and changes would be made.
“I haven’t worked on the show since… and I’m not the only one who has spoken out or experienced anything like that.”
This comes after Mail On Sunday revealed that a senior manager at Loose Women had emailed ITV’s top bosses to express “serious concerns” about the well-being of the young man, who was having an affair with Phillip.
ITV bosses told MPs last month they were not aware of any concerns about the production assistant who worked with Phillip on This Morning during her relationship.
But The Mail on Sunday revealed that sources at the station believe bosses, including entertainment chief Kevin Lygo, were aware of an email raising concerns about the man’s well-being.
Controversy: In a bombastic statement to the Chron in May, veteran TV presenter Phillip admitted he and the man had started a relationship that was more than just friendship
The email warned that ITV had a duty of care towards him as a vulnerable employee. Sources close to Mr Lygo say he has “no memory” of it. No formal investigation was launched.
At a hearing in the House of Commons Select Committee questioning Mr Lygo and ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall about the scandal last month, that correspondence was not mentioned.
In a bombastic statement to the Chron in May, veteran TV presenter Phillip admitted he and the man had started a relationship that was more than just friendship. The former TV presenter called it “unwise but not illegal”.
Phillip also confessed to lying to his employer ITV, his colleagues, his friends and his agents at management company YMU.
He also lied to The Mail on Sunday, the Chron’s sister newspaper, which first exclusively detailed his relationship with the younger man earlier this month.
In his humble apology, Phillip said: “I am making this statement via the Chron to which I have already personally apologized for misleading a story about my lawyer who I have also misled.” [sic] what you wanted to write about me a few days ago.
“The first thing I want to say is, I am deeply sorry that I lied to you and many others about my relationship with someone who worked on This Morning.” I was in an on-off, consensual relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.
“Contrary to speculation, while I met the man as a teenager and was asked to help get him into television, it wasn’t until after he started working on the show that it became more than a friendship.” The relationship was unwise, but not illegal. Now it’s over…
Support: Phillip with his wife Stephanie Lowe and daughters Molly and Ruby (pictured in November 2018)
“I am painfully aware that I have lied to my employers at ITV, my colleagues and friends, my agents, the media and by extension the public and most importantly my family.” I am very, very sorry that I have been unfaithful to my wife…
“I am stepping down from ITV with immediate effect and I would like to express my enormous gratitude to them for all the great opportunities they have given me.”
“I will reflect on my very poor judgment when I participated in the relationship and then lied about it.”
Phillip’s extraordinary statement ended weeks of mounting speculation both in the television industry and across the country about the future of his career after he abruptly left the This Morning sofa earlier this month.
His exit from ITV apparently scuppered plans for the Prime Time show, which the channel reportedly offered him as consolation for leaving This Morning after more than 20 years on the show.
In an interview with the BBC, Phillip said he believes his career is “over” and that he has “lost everything” after admitting to lying about his relationship with a younger man on This Morning.
“I have to talk about TV in the past tense, it breaks my heart,” he told the publication. “What am I going to do with my days?” I see nothing but blackness, sadness, regret, remorse, and guilt. “I did something very wrong and then lied about it constantly.”
In the interview, Phillip – who was also fired from his talent agency YMU after admitting to the Mail the “unwise but not illegal relationship” – said he was “completely heartbroken and embarrassed”.
Tough times: Phillip said it was “the hardest conversation I’ve ever had to have with her” when he opened up about his affair to his wife Stephanie Lowe.
Phillip told the BBC the young man, who briefly worked as a runner on This Morning, was 20 when he first had sexual contact with him.
He told The Sun they became friends, but in 2017 – three years before he came out as gay and split from his wife Stephanie Lowe after 27 years – “something happened that just changed it”.
There was “an amicable moment” in Phillip’s dressing room after a show and “it was mutual.”
He said he had no “love relationship” with the man and that “it wasn’t a relationship, we weren’t friends, we were friends.”
He said “it wasn’t emotions” he was feeling, but “more like friends: excitement.” He added, “I was really struggling with my sexuality at the time leading up to what was happening.” The couple only had “five or six romantic encounters” over a period of about six months.
He said they only met once, at Phillip’s flat in south-east London, after phoning the young man to buy him a pint.
He also denied using ITV funds to pay for the man’s cabs, saying: “I don’t have an ITV account.”
Phillip said he had “no excuse” for what happened, “nobody did anything wrong but me” and “I was unprofessional for once in my 41-year career”.
In another interview, Phillip said his former This Morning co-host Holly – who was unaware of the affair – ignored his messages in which she apologized and asked for forgiveness.
During a conversation with The Sun, he apologized to Holly for lying to her about his relationship, saying: “I lost my best friend.”
He added, “I let her down.” I let down the whole show. I let the viewers down. Holly didn’t know, and she was one of the first texts I sent to say, “I’m so, so sorry I lied to you.”
“She didn’t respond and I can understand why she didn’t either.” So, yes, if anyone is associating Holly with this in any way, that’s absolutely, utterly untrue.”
Returning to the show following Phillip’s departure, Holly gave a lengthy explanation of what had happened and said, “Hello.” Good morning. josie [Gibson], Thank you for being here. Right, take a deep breath. First: are you okay? It actually feels very strange sitting here without Phil.
“And I imagine you’ve felt much like me – shaken, troubled, disappointed, concerned for the well-being of people on all sides of events, and filled with questions.”
worries: dr Ranj said he had escalated his concerns to ITV’s “top management” as the scandal unfolded but felt he had been “put out of the way”.
“You, I and all of us at This Morning have given our love and support to someone who was not telling the truth, who acted in ways that made him feel he needed to step down from ITV and give up a career he loved.” That’s a lot to process.
“And it’s just as hard to see the toll it’s taking on her own mental health. I think what unites us all now is a desire to heal for the health and well-being of all.
“I hope that as we begin this new chapter and return to a place of warmth and magic that this show holds for all of us, we can find strength in one another.”
“And thank you from the bottom of my heart for all 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 day to bring you this show that we love.”
Timeline of the Phillip Schofield Scandal
September 2022 – Schofield and Willoughby face criticism for not queuing for the Queen’s state appearance. ITV insisted the two were on hand to cover the venue.
April 2023 – Phillip is absent from This Morning for two weeks while his brother Timothy, 54, faces charges of sexually abusing a teenager at Exeter Crown Court.
April 3 – Timothy is found guilty of ’emotionally blackmailing’ the teenager into having sex and watching porn with him.
May 10 – Phillip and Holly are reportedly “hardly speaking” but a day later he releases a statement calling Holly “my rock”.
May 15 – The pair appear united at the presentation of ‘This Morning,’ but rumors of a feud linger. The couple reportedly fell out because Phillip failed to warn Holly about his brother’s trial.
May 20 – Schofield announces he is stepping down from This Morning, effective “immediately.”
May 22 – Substitute hosts Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond hailed their former colleague as “one of the best live television networks this country has ever had”.
May 26 – Schofield releases a statement admitting to having an affair with a “much younger” colleague but then lying about it.
May 27 – Holly slams Phillip for lying to her.
May 28 – Former This Morning resident Dr. Ranj Singh, slams the show’s “toxic” culture.
May 29 – Schofield releases a statement denying claims that the series has a toxic culture, prompting Eamonn Holmes to tweet him calling him “delusional”.