Holly Willoughby 'vows to never publicly address Phillip Schofield scandal again' after backlash from This Morning statement
6 June 2023, 08:06
Holly Willoughby is understood to have vowed to never address the Phillip Schofield scandal again after receiving backlash from her This Morning statement.
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Willoughby teared up on Monday morning as she addressed the scandal surrounding her former co-presenter Phillip Schofield during her first show back after an extended break.
She said she felt "shaken, troubled, let down" after he lied about having an affair with a colleague who was 15 years old when they first met.
She added that it was "equally hard" to see how the recent controversy had affected Schofield's mental health.
But viewers were quick to criticise Willoughby's comments, with some on social media branding her response "cold" and "horrible" considering she and Schofield had previously been close friends.
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Holly Willoughby makes statement as she returns to This Morning
However, insiders defended the presenter, saying her statement showed how upset she really was.
"This is the only time Holly will ever speak about Phil and what has happened,' a source told The Sun.
"She still feels incredibly angry and upset by his actions and is very much still trying to get her head around it.
"It took a lot for Holly to compose herself and speak about what has gone on in the last few weeks.
"But people expecting her to sit and pour her heart out will be waiting for a long time.
"Holly is upset that Phil, who she believed to be a very close friend, lied to her about his affair.
"She is angry and that will take a long time for her to come to terms with."
A clip of Willoughby's speech shared on Twitter has already amassed over 15 million views in less than 24 hours.
At the end of the message, she pays credit to other presenters on the show who stepped in during her absence, adding that This Morning would be starting a "new chapter".
"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," she said.
"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, Dermot, Alison, Craig 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."
ITV bosses are expected to be grilled on the This Morning scandal during a DCMS committee meeting on Tuesday. The hearing will mainly focus on the draft Media Bill.
