HOLLY Willoughby will return to This Morning on Monday despite pressure to step down.
Insiders said Holly, 42, had no intention of quitting after Phillip Schofield, 61, lied over his affair with a younger man.
Holly Willoughby will return to This Morning on Monday despite pressure to step down
Insiders said Holly has no intention of quitting after Phillip Schofield lied over his affair with a younger man, pictured above
This Morning boss Martin Frizell with Holly and Phil
Holly Willoughby insists she has nothing to hide as she plans to return to This Morning next week.
Insiders say Holly, host for 13 years, has no intention of quitting despite the crisis at ITV deepening.
Former co-star Eamonn Holmes said she should follow Phillip Schofield “out the door”, and accused her of distancing herself from the sinking ship that was Schofield.
Last night there were claims ITV paid off the worker who had an affair with Schofield.
A source said of Holly: “She has made it clear she was one of the people Phil lied to and she has nothing to hide.
“She will return to This Morning as planned on Monday and carry on like the professional she is.
“Holly has been affected by Phil’s actions and it has been very difficult. She is devoted to This Morning however and will continue to do the best job she can for them.”
Alison Hammond is expected to join Holly on Monday then co-hosts will be rotated to work with her.
On Saturday Holly issued a statement saying she was “hurt” by the fact that Schofield had lied to her about his relationship with a much younger male colleague.
Yesterday Schofield was scrapped as an ambassador of the Prince’s Trust with the charity saying: “In light of his recent admissions, we have agreed that it is no longer appropriate to work together.”
Eamonn went on the warpath yesterday saying he believed Schofield’s decision to come out as gay live on air in 2020 was used to cover the tracks of the affair, and that he too felt lied to.
Eamonn, wife Ruth Langsford and Holly were seen comforting Phil on the sofa at the time.
Recalling when Phil told them backstage, Eamonn said: “He comes into our dressing room, and falls on his knees.
“The acting is amazing. He falls down on his knees crying. I stood him up, I pulled him up and said, What are you talking about? So you’re gay.
“And that tied into a lot of things that, you know, you may have heard, and I think anybody to be imprisoned in a life that isn’t true to them would be totally wrong.
“We were very supportive. We said, ‘Look, we’ll stand by you, it’s all OK’.”
Eamonn said he and Ruth had no idea the moment would be aired to the nation, adding: “Oh boy were we used.”
Eamonn added on GB News: “I’m sure they (Holly and Phil) rehearsed it for days as to what they were going to say, who was going to hug, and Holly was very specific about where she sat, where Phillip sat, where Ruth sat, where I sat, it was all choreographed.”
The Celeb Report told yesterday how Schofield enjoyed trysts with his lover at his £1million ITV flat, and were often seen leaving around 3pm, two hours after filming had ended.
Eamonn backed up the story and revealed Schofield would enjoy “playtime Thursdays” with the man — and would take him to another property in London.
Further pressure piled on ITV last night when it emerged a staffer raised concerns in a February 10, 2020, message to top boss Carolyn McCall, and Julian Bellamy, head of ITV Studios.
The note said: “With the current rumours and accusations swirling around about Phillip Schofield why is he still on our screens? Why have ITV not suspended him pending an internal inquiry?
“I would have thought in this day and age that a mainstream broadcaster ought to be seen to be doing all it can to deal with issues like this, find out where the truth lies and, in the meantime, suspend those who the rumours concern?”
It is reported neither boss replied to the email.
ITV have insisted they did investigate in early 2020 when rumours of a relationship began to surface.
Over the weekend, ITV top boss Kevin Lygo was forced to deny the investigation missed anything and said no mistakes were made when it happened.
Last night Mail Online claimed Schofield’s lover had received a settlement from ITV — after Phil ended the liaison and when the man was moved to another programme.
Staff at the channel have told The Celeb Report an internal battle is raging about who should take the fall.
A separate source said: “Phil’s confession and resignation has not dulled the fire but fanned the flames. ITV need someone to take a hit and show they are taking this seriously.”
Martin Frizell, This Morning boss since 2016, is in the firing line. Our insider said: “Martin is aligning himself with allies. He will fight tooth and nail to stay but many people think the clock is ticking.”
The Celeb Report yesterday laid bare the “bullying culture” at This Morning.
A former colleague claimed Mr Frizell was a “relic from a bygone era, all shouting, swearing and un-PC comments. He can be wildly charismatic, but also terrifying”.
Shares in ITV slipped to a five-month low yesterday.
Car dealer Arnold Clark has said it will not renew sponsorship.
Holly is set to be joined by Alison Hammond on her return on Monday
Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford with Holly and Phil
