Phillip Schofield has finally broken his silence on rumours of a feud with This Morning co-star Holly Willoughby.
The 57-year-old has been rocked by complaints from ‘multiple presenters’ over his ‘attitude’, with reports stating his relationship with Holly has become ‘strained’.
But he put all the ‘tension’ claims to bed, branding the 38-year-old his ‘sister’.
When asked about the reports, he said: ‘Can you imagine a feud between us ever happening? It’s not as if we have to defend anything.
‘It’s a shame… We are so open on the show, we are so open online and we go on holiday together.
‘Holly is the sister I never had, we think at the same speed. It’s so organic… it’s a shame.’
Phil also claimed that those behind the scenes of their ITV show were baffled by the speculation.
‘Everyone who knows us, I mean, everyone at This Morning was like, “What the hell?”,’ he added to the Mail on Sunday.
‘The atmosphere in our studio is so wonderful, there’s such a lovely team. Everyone is lovely.’
So, that’s that then.
Phil’s denial comes after it was reported that he was the subject of complaints by ‘multiple presenters’ who were unhappy with his attitude.
According to the Sun, his relationship with Holly was strained, while Ruth Langsford allegedly made an official complaint.
The publication states eight big ITV presenters have spoken to them about the ‘toxic’ atmosphere at This Morning, with one household name saying: ‘For so long people have been silenced because they are scared for their job.
‘If they speak out publicly about the atmosphere they fear there could be repercussions.’
A spokesperson for ITV later said: ‘It’s deeply disappointing and unfair for Phillip to be the target of this sort of malicious gossip.
‘Phillip is a much-respected broadcaster and colleague and this is absolutely not a description of This Morning that we recognise.
‘Holly and Phil are great friends both on and off-screen and are popular among viewers and colleagues alike.’
