Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield are staples of British TV – so the flurry of reports of a rift between them have caused quite the stir.
The hosts of ITV’s This Morning and Dancing On Ice were said to be best friends, but something has supposedly come between them in recent weeks which tabloid reports claim has left them hardly talking.
Here’s what we know so far.
When did Holly and Phil’s alleged fallout begin?
On May 10, The Sun published a story claiming that the two hosts “barely speak” off camera. Unnamed sources told the newspaper that their friendship has apparently “cooled” over issues which have “rumbled on for some time”.
This row included speculation over their future as co-hosts. “Should he leave, she’d want to stay,” a source claimed to the paper.
The Sun also suggested Holly has distanced herself from Phil following his paedophile brother’s recent court case.
Phil’s brother Timothy Schofield was found guilty of 11 offences involving a child between 2016 and 2019 last month, and is due to be sentenced this week.
Phil was absent from This Morning during the trial, and later condemned his brother and welcomed the verdict in a public statement he shared on Instagram, writing: “As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother.”
On May 11, the MailOnline claimed that Phil did not tell Holly his brother faced charges of child sex offences, and that she only found out when he was absent from the show.
However, Phil denied such claims, according to the outlet, saying it was “categorically untrue”.
What have Holly and Phil said about the supposed rift?
Holly’s representatives have not spoken out about the allegations. However, Phil told The Sun on May 11: “The last few weeks haven’t been easy for either of us.
“As I have said before, Holly is my rock.
“We’re the best of friends — as always, she is an incredible support on screen, behind the scenes and on the phone.
“Holly has always been there for me, through thick and thin. And I’ve been there for her.
“The last few weeks haven’t been easy for either of us.”
He said his family have been through a “real ordeal”, and that Holly’s support “meant the world to me”.
He also noted that Holly has been “ill with shingles” after she was absent for a week following his return to the show, but “whatever happens, we still have each other to count on.”
What happened after Phil spoke out?
While the pair seemed to present a united front on TV, reports went on to suggest Holly was unaware Phillip was going to release such a statement.
A source told the MailOnline on May 12 Holly was “upset” by the move.
This led to speculation the pair may not appear together on Monday’s show, but ultimately they were to be reunited back on the famous sofa.
Has Holly and Phil’s relationship been under scrutiny before?
Over the course of their 14 years presenting This Morning together, the pair have faced numerous stories about supposed fallouts and dramas – but have tried to shut them down quickly.
And in October 2020 – months after he came out as gay live on the show in an interview with Holly – Phil dismissed the persistent rumours about their relationship that they’d faced at the end of 2019, emphasising that his co-host had actually been there for him at that time, as he struggled with his sexuality.
He told Chris Evans’ How To Wow podcast: “There was nothing that was being said that had any truth in it whatsoever. There was no and there has never been a feud with Holly.
“When they’re writing ‘Phillip and Holly and feud’ we couldn’t have been closer because I’d told her my secret and she was holding me together at work.”
In January 2022, Holly also said it was only possible to do the two and a half hours of live TV together each day when you work “with a friend”.
Last September, they were also at the centre of a media storm after some people believe they “skipped” the 20-hour queue to see the Queen’s coffin, by claiming they were members of the press – but tried to repair their image by addressing it publicly together.
What happens next?
Despite a weekend full of reports about their relationship, the presenting duo hosted This Morning together on Monday, where there was no reference to the headlines.
And Holly and Phil will be presenting together until late July, when they will both take their annual six-week summer break.
They are allegedly holding talks with ITV to discuss what do to next come September.
Some reports have linked Friday hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary to a more prominent role on the programme.
Except for previously confirming to The Mirror that Holly and Phil would be presenting Monday’s show as usual, ITV representatives have not yet issued any other formal statements about the supposed fall-out between the pair, or their longer-term future on the show.
HuffPost UK has contacted spokespeople for This Morning, Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield and is awaiting responses.