Alison Hammond was left howling during Friday’s edition of This Morning, when comedian Barry Humphries appeared to mistake Dermot O’Leary for Phillip Schofield, and congratulated him on his “courage” for coming out as gay.
During the live show, Alison and Dermot spoke to the veteran comic – best known for his comedy character Dame Edna Everage – about his life and career, with the 87-year-old boasting of his “very good memory”.
“And incidentally, I want to congratulate you, seriously, on your courage,” Barry began, with Alison laughing out loud before he’d even said another word.
“Last year, no, no,” he continued, as Alison continued to crack up next to him on the sofa. “When he came out and told us about his sexuality… no, no, I think a lot of people respected you for that. Your bravery was amazing.”
A smirking Dermot responded: “Thank you. I’ll pass that on to the gentleman who’s here from Monday to Thursday.”
“What?” Barry asked, to which Dermot said: “Don’t worry. Your memory is… crystal clear. Thank you for your kind comments.”
“And by the way,” Barry then told him. “We’re all in show business.”
At the end of the interview, Dermot joked: “Thank you for liberating me again.”
Phillip Schofield came out as gay in February 2020, in a statement posted on social media that was immediately followed by an interview live on This Morning with his co-host Holly Willoughby.
Over the summer, he was given the Spirit prize at the British LGBT Awards, saying in his acceptance speech: “I had the most extraordinary people who helped me pack the parachute before I made the jump – friends and family, loved ones.
“And then there were an enormous amount of rainbow arms outstretched to catch me when I reached the bottom of my jump. And I’ve loved that, that’s something... I didn’t know quite what to expect, but what a lovely family I’ve thrown myself into. Thank you very much indeed.”
This Morning airs every weekday from 10am on ITV.