Holly Willoughby’s job at M&S is reportedly secure amid the ongoing string of queues with her This Moring co-host Phillip Schofield.
The retailer confirmed they had renewed the 41-year-old presenter’s contract with them after she and Phil “skipped the line” to see the Queen in state last week – claims both strongly denied.
Holly and Phil have been the subject of online abuse following the claims, and an online petition to sack the duo from their lucrative presenting roles has garnered more than 66,000 signatures in six days.
Staying put: Holly Willoughby’s job at M&S is secure amid the ongoing queue-skipping row with her This Moring co-host Phillip Schofield (Holly portrayed modeling for the brand in March).
But while her job as a presenter at ITV could be in jeopardy, her deal with M&S is reportedly still firmly in place, with Holly originally signing on as a brand ambassador in September 2018.
An M&S spokesman told The Sun: “I can confirm that we have renewed our current contract with Holly and will continue to work with her.”
It follows claims that Marks & Spencer had some discussions about Willoughby’s deal with them as they were concerned about the backlash.
Job: The retailer confirmed they had extended their contract after claims she and Phil “skipped the line” to see the Queen in state last week – claims both denied
Amid the episodes, the couple received support from Friday’s show hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, with Web understanding they were “in regular contact” with the couple throughout the week.
Holly and Phil have not commented on the matter since issuing a statement on Tuesday’s show, insisting they “did not skip the line.”
Holly has relied on her friends for support over the past few days to get her through. And despite the fact that calls for Holly and Phil’s sacking could earn Alison and Dermot the role as full-time hosts, sources say they have remained loyal.
Phil and Holly are reportedly being paid up to £600,000 to present the Monday to Thursday daytime show, with Alison and Dermot filling in for Friday’s show.
Shocking: Holly and Phil have been the subject of online abuse following the claims, and an online petition to have the duo fired from their lucrative presenting roles has garnered more than 66,000 signatures in six days
Ambassador: While her job as a presenter at ITV could be in jeopardy, her deal with M&S is reportedly still firmly in place, with Holly originally signing up as a brand ambassador in September 2018.
Although neither ITV, Holly nor Phil have said they will change the presenter line-up, it hasn’t stopped speculation as to who would take the top spot if the duo left This Morning.
According to William Hill, Vernon Kay and Rochelle Humes are 2/1 favorites to replace the pair as main presenters. Dermot is 4/1, same price as Josie Gibson, with Alison, Craig Doyle, Ruth Langsford and Mollie King available at 5/1.
The speculation hasn’t caused any tension between the stars, however, as a source told Web: “Alison, Dermot, Phil and Holly are incredibly close and bonded.
“When things blew up over the weekend, they immediately came forward to offer their support. Alison in particular spoke to Holly many times on the phone and was a real rock.
Fantastic Four: Amid the backlash, Holly and Phil have received support from Friday’s show hosts Alison and Dermot O’Leary, with Web revealing they have been “in regular contact” with the couple throughout the week
“Dermot and Alison, along with the other senior members of the ITV team, all knew they were going to visit Westminster and there is a sense of shock and confusion at how things blew up.”
Insiders from This Morning believe they are now “over the worst of the crisis” but ITV bosses are still taking steps to ensure Phil and Holly get the support they need.
“ITV has a duty of care to look after all of its presenters and some of the abuse Phil and Holly have experienced on social media is absolutely appalling,” added the source.
“People have taken things way too far in some things they say and management have been in regular contact with Phil and Holly to check that they are okay. That will continue until next week when they return to the program.
“Those working on the show are hoping that by then things will be over and they will be able to end this nightmare. But only time will tell.’
A clearer view: A photo of Westminster Abbey – highlighting where the media box is, where the public queue is and where Holly and Phil appear to be walking
The news comes after it emerged that Holly and Phillip were keen to publicly apologize for the “queue gate” but were stopped after seeking legal counsel.
A statement was made by ITV on Saturday and later broadcast on This Morning on Tuesday, voiced by Holly, but both stopped using the word ‘sorry’ – a move that has enraged many viewers.
A source told Web: “Every word of the statement was doused. In the end it backfires spectacularly.
“Initially, Holly and Phillip were willing to apologize if they upset anyone as they were both keen to put an end to the affair. But they were strongly discouraged from apologizing.”
Not enough: A statement was made by ITV on Saturday and aired later on Tuesday on This Morning (pictured on the show), voiced by Holly, 41, but both stopped using the word ‘sorry’.
Such was the backlash against the couple that TV insiders are voicing “serious concerns” about the presenters’ well-being after they appeared weepy and mute on This Morning this week.
On the show’s first episode since the series began, Holly and Phil, 60, firmly denied viewers’ claims that they were “too posh to queue” and said they were at Westminster Hall on Friday “solely for the purpose been to report on the event.’
The voiceover also summed it up: “Please know we would never rush into a queue.”
However, some social media users were unconvinced and demanded that the couple apologize.
ITV has since doubled down on footage that appeared to show them walking past the Queen’s coffin – but Holly has been hit particularly hard by the online backlash and is feeling “left out to dry,” sources previously said.
Channel bosses are standing by the presenters and have raised “real and serious” concerns about their welfare following the “relentless” online trolling, reports The Mirror.
The popular TV presenters faced mounting anger after images emerged of them appearing to “skip the line” on Friday while tens of thousands of mourners waited patiently for more than 12 hours to pay their respects to Her Majesty.
Out and about: Holly and Phil were spotted in a video posted to TikTok leaving Westminster Hall after filming and were accused of jumping in the queue
Viewers tweeted accusations that the hosts were “too posh to queue up,” and a change.org petition to ditch the presenters has surpassed 60,000 signatures as viewers appear to have turned down the stars’ offer, one to draw a line under the scandal.
Footage at Westminster Abbey appeared to show Holly and Phil, 60, walking down an area separate from the media box – but ITV has since insisted the stars did not join the mourners to get past the coffin.
After the images circulated online, comparisons were quickly drawn to other celebrities who spent hours queuing with the public – including England football legend David Beckham and even Good Morning Britain’s Holly and Phil’s ITV colleague Susanna Reid.
Gaining traction: change.org’s petition calling for moderators to be removed continues to gather signatures over time
An ITV spokeswoman has insisted presenters did not walk past the Queen’s coffin.
The spokeswoman told Web: “This morning had press accreditation and like other media outlets, Phillip and Holly were escorted to work from the press gallery by government officials. They didn’t pass the Queen’s coffin.
“They were there along with a host of other broadcasters and national press offices for an article that aired on Tuesday (20th). Any allegations of improper conduct are categorically false.’
Snap happy: Holly and Phil in front of the Houses of Parliament. The couple say none of the broadcasters and journalists took the place of anyone in the queue in lying to the queen