Phillip Schofield – latest: Piers Morgan responds to This Morning host’s exit in scathing column
Piers Morgan has become the latest public figure to hit out at Phillip Schofield, after the former This Morning co-host stepped down from his role on the ITV show.
In an op-ed for The Sun, the English broadcaster admitted he found the aftermath of Schofield’s exit “brutal to watch” and yet “entirely unsurprising”.
The 61-year-old presenter’s departure comes amid reports of a rift between him and Willoughby, and after his brother, Timothy Schofield, was sentenced to 12 years in jail on Friday, after being convicted of child sex offences.
On Monday (22 May), Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary delivered a bizarre and somewhat muted tribute to Schofield as they stepped in as temporary replacements on the ITV show.
Willoughby will remain on the programme and will “co-present with members of the This Morning family”, ITV said in a statement. However, the broadcaster confirmed that she will take a break during the half-term, returning on Monday 5 June.
Key Points
Piers Morgan decries daytime TV ‘weasels’ and ‘two-faced wastrels’ over Phillip Schofield exit
Nadine Dorries accuses Schofield of ‘poor’ behaviour
Piers Morgan shuts down rumours of replacing Schofield
Holly Willoughby issues statement after Phillip Schofield quits This Morning
This Morning ‘became the story’: Schofield statement in full
Piers Morgan decries daytime TV ‘weasels’ and ‘two-faced wastrels’ for Phillip Schofield exit
04:02 , Peony Hirwani
Days after Phillip Schofield’s exit from This Morning, Piers Morgan reacted to Schofield’s “brutal” dethroning in a scathing column for The Sun.
Read what he said here:
Piers Morgan decries daytime TV ‘weasels’ over Phillip Schofield exit
ITV hits back at speculation Schofield was ‘sacked'
10:05 , Roisin O'Connor
ITV issued a response this week to speculation that Phillip Schofield was “sacked” from his role as co-host on its popular daytime show This Morning.
Following claims by former This Morning host Eamonn Holmes, who now fronts a show for GB News, the broadcaster insisted that Schofield’s departure was a mutual agreement between him and ITV.
“Phillip Schofield’s decision to step down from This Morning was (as his statement made clear) a decision agreed between Phillip and ITV,” a spokesperson told The Independent.
The 61-year-old left following intense scrutiny over his relationship with co-host Holly Willoughby, amid rumours the pair had fallen out.
Everything we know about the Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby ‘fall-out’
From Piers Morgan to Eamonn Holmes: The celebrities who weighed in on Phillip Schofield’s This Morning exit
10:00 , Peony Hirwani
The celebrities who have weighed in on Phillip Schofield’s This Morning exit
Irish chef Clodagh McKenna on Phillip Schofield exit
09:15 , Peony Hirwani
Clodagh McKenna has expressed her views about Phillip Schofield’s exit from The Morning.
“21 years of brightening up our mornings…. And I’ve been so lucky to be part of three of them. I’ll miss the morning hug, the twinkle in your eye that makes me giggle and your empathy,” she wrote on Instagram.
“You will be missed.”
Everything we know about Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield ‘fall-out’
08:30 , Peony Hirwani
After a week of rumours of a rift between This Morning hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, it has been announced that Schofield will leave the show “with immediate effect”.
Below is a timeline of Schofield and Willoughby’s working relationship, and the ups and downs they have both endured along the way.
Everything we know about the Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby ‘fall-out’
Watch: Phillip Schofield's first appearance on This Morning in 1988
07:45 , Peony Hirwani
Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby: TV hosts’ ITV salaries as Phil quits This Morning
07:00 , Peony Hirwani
This Morning hosts’ ITV salaries revealed as Phillip Schofield quits
Phillip Schofield ‘will end up making railway documentaries’, ITV sources say
06:15 , Peony Hirwani
Phillip Schofield’s future at ITV after he hosts the Soap Awards next month is uncertain, inside sources have claimed.
Read more:
Phillip Schofield ‘will end up making railway documentaries,’ ITV sources say
How did Phillip Schofield announce his departure?
05:30 , Inga Parkel
In a statement, Phillip Schofield announced his exit from This Morning.
“Throughout my career in TV – including the very difficult last few days – I have always done my best to be honourable and kind. So I have agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect, in the hope that the show can move forward to a bright future,” he said.
Phillip Schofield’s family remain silent after shock ITV departure
04:30 , Inga Parkel
Phillip Schofield’s family has so far remained silent after his sudden departure from This Morning.
The presenter’s two daughters Molly and Ruby Schofield, and his estranged wife Stephanie Lowe have not yet publically addressed the 61-year-old’s shock departure from the show.
Read more:
Family of Phillip Schofield remain silent after shock ITV departure
Schofield announced he was leaving the ITV talk show on Saturday ‘with immediate effect’
Rochelle Humes pays tribute to Phillip Schofield after his ‘This Morning' exit
03:30 , Inga Parkel
Rochelle Humes has paid tribute to Phillip Schofield following his departure from ITV’s This Morning.
“I’ve proudly been a part of the This Morning family for almost 10 years and over the last few, it has been an absolutely pleasure learning so much from you,” Humes wrote in an Instagram post on Monday (22 May).
“Thanks for all the lessons – you’re a fountain of love knowledge and laughter,” she added.
How much was Phillip Schofield paid for This Morning?
02:30 , Inga Parkel
With Phillip Schofield’s recent exit from This Morning, many might wonder how this will impact him financially.
Jacob Stolworthy has uncovered the rather large deficit his bank account will now see.
How much Phillip Schofield got paid for This Morning ahead of quitting series
How much the pair reportedly got paid
Eamonn Holmes issues brutal criticism of Holly Willoughby
01:30 , Inga Parkel
After previously criticising Phillip Schofield, Eamonn Holmes has now taken aim at This Morning’s remaining host Holly Willoughby.
Holmes criticised Willoughby over her claim she was “sad” Schofield was departing the show, saying: “Well, she wanted him not there, so what is she moaning about? Holly is being as false as he is and nobody is talking about the elephant in the room.”
Jacob Stolworthy reports:
Eamonn Holmes issues brutal criticism of Holly Willoughby
Eamonn Holmes on Holly Willoughby
ITV denies Eamonn Holmes’ claim about Phillip Schofield’s This Morning exit
Wednesday 24 May 2023 00:30 , Inga Parkel
While speaking on GB News, former This Morning host Eamonn Holmes said: “Oh please, just stop this. [Schofield] was sacked. All this nonsense of ‘I’ve decided to step down’. I’m sure you did – ‘here’s your P45 now step down’.”
However, in a statement to The Independent, an ITV spokesperson said: “Phillip Schofield’s decision to step down from This Morning was (as his statement made clear) a decision agreed between Phillip and ITV.”
Read more:
ITV denies Eamonn Holmes’ claim about Phillip Schofield’s This Morning exit
Channel reiterated Schofield’s earlier statement following startling allegation
Dermot O’Leary will skip Wednesday’s show
Tuesday 23 May 2023 23:30 , Inga Parkel
Dermot O’Leary, who’s been temporarily filling in with Alison Hammond to co-host This Morning, will be absent on Wednesday (24 May) to celebrate his 50th birthday.
As such, Craig Doyle will stand in for O’Leary that day, according to The Daily Mail.
Piers Morgan decries daytime TV ‘weasels’ and ‘two-faced wastrels’ for Phillip Schofield exit
Tuesday 23 May 2023 23:03 , Inga Parkel
Days after Phillip Schofield’s exit from This Morning, Piers Morgan reacted to Schofield’s “brutal” dethroning in a scathing column for The Sun.
Read what he said here:
Piers Morgan decries daytime TV ‘weasels’ and ‘two-faced wastrels’ for Phillip Schofield exit
Morgan expressed empathy for former This Morning presenter in scathing column
Watch: Phillip Schofield’s final sign off from This Morning
Tuesday 23 May 2023 22:30 , Inga Parkel
Nadia Sawalha explains why she ‘hasn’t said anything’ about Phillip Schofield exit
Tuesday 23 May 2023 21:30 , Inga Parkel
Loose Women star Nadia Sawalha has become the latest ITV star to discuss Phillip Schofield’s departure from This Morning.
Speaking on her podcast Coffee Moaning, the daytime TV star explained why many ITV stars hadn’t discussed the topic publicly.
“This story with Phillip and Holly is just huge, it’s just everywhere. There’s so much speculation and so much chat,” she said.
“I think everybody at ITV, like my colleagues... there is the constant question of why haven’t we said anything? Why are we not saying anything?”
She continued: “It is difficult, because I do have a rule..., and I think it’s a good one, that I don’t bad-mouth people that are colleagues. I think that’s what makes you a decent person or not.
“There are people who don’t stick to that rule and I believe that a certain person who is in the news at the moment didn’t stick to that so much with me a long while ago. I’m just going to leave that there.”
How did Holly Willoughby respond to Phillip Schofield’s exit
Tuesday 23 May 2023 20:30 , Inga Parkel
Following ITV’s announcement that Phillip Schofield would be leaving This Morning with “immediate effect”, Holly Willoughby took to Instagram to thank her outgoing co-host for “13 great years presenting”.
“The sofa won’t feel the same without him,” she wrote.
What happened between Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby?
Tuesday 23 May 2023 19:30 , Inga Parkel
The Independent’s Jacob Stolworthy has put together a very helpful, detailed rundown of the rumoured “fall-out” between Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.
Everything we know about Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield ‘fall-out’
A timeline of the duo’s ups and downs as Schofield announces he is leaving ‘This Morning’ with ‘immediate effect’
When will Holly Willoughby return?
Tuesday 23 May 2023 18:30 , Inga Parkel
Since word of Phillip Schofield’s exit from This Morning, amid reports of a rift between him and Holly Willoughby, Willoughby announced she would be taking a momentary break as well.
ITV confirmed that Willoughby will be on an early half-term leave beginning on Monday 22 May. She will return to her regular post on Monday 3 June.
Piers Morgan responds to rumours he will take over as Holly Willoughby’s co-host
Tuesday 23 May 2023 17:30 , Inga Parkel
Among the celebrities rumoured to be taking over for Phillip Schofield is former Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan.
Morgan, however, was quick to shut down the rumours on Instagram, writing: “Thanks to everyone suggesting I might replace Phillip Schofield as Holly Willoughby’s Scotland-host at This Morning in a Lazarus-like comeback to ITV.
“Unfortunately, there’s just one problem: I still don’t believe a single word Meghan Markle says!”
Who will replace Phillip Schofield on This Morning?
Tuesday 23 May 2023 16:30 , Inga Parkel
ITV still has yet to announce a permanent replacement for Phillip Schofield on This Morning.
Monday’s (22 May) episode saw its Friday presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary stand in for Schofield and co-host Holly Willoughby, who is currently on break.
At the moment, O’Leary is favoured to join Willoughby full-time, with odds at 4/5. While singer and regular This Morning stand-in Rochelle Humes and comedian Joel Dommett are outside favourites to replace Schofield at 6/1 and 8/1, respectively.
Who could replace Phillip Schofield on This Morning?
Dermot O’Leary and Jeremy Clarkson are among the names coming out of the rumour mill
Phillip Schofield will go ahead with railway documentaries, ITV sources say
Tuesday 23 May 2023 15:30 , Inga Parkel
Schofield’s future at ITV after he hosts the Soap Awards next month is uncertain, inside sources have claimed.
While the broadcaster said they would announce “in due time” whether Schofield will return to Dancing on Ice in 2024, they confirmed that along with presenting the awards show, he will also host an unnamed “brand new peak-time series”.
But sources have told The Times that there are doubts over whether the unnamed show will materialise, and whether the presenter will front any further ITV programmes after the Soap Awards.
Read more:
Phillip Schofield ‘will end up making railway documentaries’, ITV sources say
Insiders have said they would be ‘extremely surprised’ if presenter continues to work for broadcaster
Everything we know about Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield ‘fall-out’
Tuesday 23 May 2023 13:45 , Isobel Lewis
Following news that Phillip Schofield would be leaving This Morning for good, Jacob Stolworthy has compiled a list of his and Holly Willoughby’s ups and downs on the ITV daytime show.
Read more below...
Everything we know about the Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby ‘fall-out’
ITV denies Eamonn Holmes’ claim about Phillip Schofield’s This Morning exit
Tuesday 23 May 2023 13:15 , Isobel Lewis
ITV, meanwhile, has responded to claims by Eamonn Holmes that Schofield was “sacked” from This Morning.
Speaking on GB News, former This Morning host Holmes said: “Oh please, just stop this. He was sacked. All this nonsense of ‘I’ve decided to step down’. I’m sure you did – ‘here’s your P45 now step down’.”
An ITV spokesperson told The Independent: “Phillip Schofield’s decision to step down from This Morning was (as his statement made clear) a decision agreed between Phillip and ITV.”
Jacob Stolworthy reports:
ITV denies Eamonn Holmes’ claim about Phillip Schofield’s This Morning exit
Eamonn Holmes issues brutal criticism of Holly Willoughby
Tuesday 23 May 2023 12:50 , Isobel Lewis
After previously criticising Phillip Schofield, Eamonn Holmes has now taken aim at This Morning’s remaining host Holly Willoughby.
Holmes criticised Willoughby over her claim she was “sad” Schofield was departing the show, saying: “Well, she wanted him not there, so what is she moaning about? Holly is being as false as he is and nobody is talking about the elephant in the room.”
Jacob Stolworthy reports:
Eamonn Holmes issues brutal criticism of Holly Willoughby
When will Holly Willoughby return to This Morning?
Tuesday 23 May 2023 12:13 , Isobel Lewis
While Schofield has left This Morning, his co-star Willoughby is remaining on the ITV show’s sofa.
However, Willoughby has taken an early half-term break from presenting, with Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary standing in for her.
She will return on Monday 5 June.
Nadia Sawalha explains why she ‘hasn’t said anything’ about Phillip Schofield exit
Tuesday 23 May 2023 10:31 , Isobel Lewis
Loose Women star Nadia Sawalha has become the latest ITV star to discuss Phillip Schofield’s departure from This Morning.
Speaking on her podcast Coffee Moaning, the daytime TV star explained why many ITV stars hadn’t discussed the topic publicly.
“This story with Phillip and Holly is just huge, it’s just everywhere. There’s so much speculation and so much chat,” she said.
“I think everybody at ITV, like my colleagues... there is the constant question of why haven’t we said anything? Why are we not saying anything?”
She continued: “It is difficult, because I do have a rule..., and I think it’s a good one, that I don’t bad-mouth people that are colleagues. I think that’s what makes you a decent person or not.
“There are people who don’t stick to that rule and I believe that a certain person who is in the news at the moment didn’t stick to that so much with me a long while ago. I’m just going to leave that there.”
TV insiders express doubts about Schofield’s ITV future – reports
Tuesday 23 May 2023 10:07 , Isobel Lewis
When Schofield’s departure from This Morning was announced, ITV insisted that the presenter would continue to present peak-time shows for ITV, including a new primetime series.
However, according to a report inThe Times, TV insiders are unsure these projects will see the light of day.
One source said: “The heat is not going away and I’d be extremely surprised if we see him on the channel after the Soap Awards, which are a bit of a second tier show.”
Ellie Harrison reports:
Phillip Schofield ‘will end up making documentaries about railways’, say ITV sources
Nadine Dorries accuses Phillip Schofield of ‘poor, if not bullying behaviour’
Tuesday 23 May 2023 09:30 , Peony Hirwani
Nadine Dorries has accused Phillip Schofield of “poor, if not bullying behaviour”.
In an opinion piece for The Daily Mail, the conservative MP said the reason Schofield left ITV’s This Morning “so suddenly” will “come out in the wash”.
“It’s tough being interviewed live on TV as a politician but most presenters are cordial and professional before filming starts,” Dorries said.
“It was never like that with Schofield, who was always looking in vain for the ‘gotcha’ moment: the clip that would go viral and propel him and his ego to the top of the day’s news.”
Dorries also said that Holly Willoughby should “admit the truth” about how she “could not bear to fake it a day longer sitting next to Phillip”.
The Independent has contacted Schofield’s representatives for comment.
Piers Morgan responds to rumours he could replace Phillip Schofield
Tuesday 23 May 2023 09:15 , Peony Hirwani
Piers Morgan is among the stars rumoured to possibly replace Schofield on This Morning.
The former Good Morning Britain presenter, however, was quick to rebuff the speculation on social media.
Watch: Phillip Schofield’s final sign off from This Morning
Tuesday 23 May 2023 08:55 , Peony Hirwani
Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby: TV hosts’ ITV salaries as Phil quits This Morning
Tuesday 23 May 2023 08:15 , Peony Hirwani
How much Phillip Schofield got paid for This Morning ahead of quitting series
Rochelle Humes pays tribute to Phillip Schofield after his ‘This Morning' exit
Tuesday 23 May 2023 08:00 , Peony Hirwani
Rochelle Humes has paid tribute to Phillip Schofield following his departure from ITV’s This Morning.
“I’ve proudly been a part of the This Morning family for almost 10 years and over the last few, it has been an absolutely pleasure learning so much from you,” Humes wrote in an Instagram post on Monday (22 May).
“Thanks for all the lessons – you’re a fountain of love knowledge and laughter,” she added.
Family of Phillip Schofield remain silent after shock ITV departure
Tuesday 23 May 2023 07:30 , Peony Hirwani
Phillip Schofield’s family has so far remained silent after his sudden departure from This Morning.
The presenter’s two daughters Molly and Ruby Schofield, and his estranged wife Stephanie Lowe have not yet publically addressed the 61-year-old’s shock departure from the show.
Read more:
Family of Phillip Schofield remain silent after shock ITV departure
Voices: Is there anything more British than Holly and Phil’s frosty fallout?
Tuesday 23 May 2023 06:45 , Peony Hirwani
We say to colleagues that we’ll miss them, says the Very British Problems author Rob Temple, but what we really mean is, “thank God they’re gone and I’ve now got their parking space”.
Opinion: Is there anything more British than Holly and Phil’s frosty fallout?