Holly Willoughby made her return to ITV’s This Morning after taking a break following the news of her co-host Phillip Schofield’s affair with a younger colleague from ITV. In her comeback show, Holly had an uncomfortable exchange with Ruth Langsford as she crossed over to Langsford, who was on-screen from the Loose Women studio. The exchange came just days after Langsford’s husband, Eamonn Holmes, criticised Schofield and This Morning in the wake of the affair revelation.
The awkward video-link exchange took place after an interview with Queen frontman Adam Lambert. “Let’s find out what Loose Women are talking about today. Hi there, Ruth,” said Holly as the video link of Langsford appeared. “Yeah, we love Adam Lambert, too!,” responded Langsford before blowing kisses into the camera. Viewers took to Twitter to express their thoughts, with one tweet saying: “Ruth looks incredibly uncomfortable,” and another stating “Feel for Ruth! this is so wrong!”
The incident follows reports of comments from Eamonn Holmes criticising Phillip Schofield after his interviews last week about his affair. Holmes accused him of “lies” by saying that he hadn’t made “one mistake” in his 40-year career. Schofield admitted to the affair with an ITV showrunner, and claimed he was a “victim of hate”, saying that he had “lost everything” as a result of his lies.
Holly also addressed the scandal in her comeback show, telling viewers that she felt “shaken, troubled [and] let down” over Schofield’s admission. Holly said that it was “hard to see the toll that it’s taken on their own mental health”, and spoke about a “new chapter” for This Morning. She received backlash from some viewers who condemned her “insincere” speech, with some accusing her of throwing Schofield under the bus.
It is evident that the situation has sparked uncomfortable moments between the ITV presenters. Langsford’s reaction to Willoughby’s crossover indicates that there may be tension between the two presenters. Similarly, Holmes’ comments suggest that the affair has caused tensions across the This Morning team.
Despite the controversies, This Morning continues to be a popular TV show, with Holly, Alison, and Dermot taking over presenting duties on a full-time basis. It is yet to be seen how the situation will affect the show’s ratings and audience viewing figures, but it is clear that the fallout will continue to be felt among the team following Schofield’s revelation.
