Ruth Langsford has been accused of failing to acknowledge Holly Willoughby during a live link on ITV’s This Morning on Tuesday. The awkward moment is the second one in as many days, following a live link the day before in which Ruth, 63, appeared visibly uncomfortable. The interaction began when Ruth spoke to Holly’s co-host Josie Gibson, 38, and joked about how they were both wearing green outfits – Holly also had green in her outfit. However, during another part of the show, Ruth did greet Holly and Josie together.
These moments come in the wake of Holly’s return to the show after a two-week break. In a statement, she admitted she felt “shaken, troubled” and “let down” after her disgraced former co-host, Phillip Schofield, lied to her and ITV colleagues about his affair with a younger colleague.
Ruth’s husband, Eamonn Holmes, has also been outspoken in his criticism of Holly and Schofield in the wake of the scandal engulfing This Morning. He made allegations about a toxic culture on the show and said that the presenting pair “use” people and should both have quit. Eamonn launched a fresh attack on Phillip during his GB News show this week, insisting he doesn’t believe the former ITV star’s claim that he has made “one mistake” in his 40-year career.
Phillip said in a bombshell interview last week that he believed his career was over and he had “lost everything” after admitting he lied about his relationship with the young man. Fans also hit out at Holly’s “scripted and soulless” words in her statement, which she read out while seemingly on the brink of tears alongside Gibson.
Meanwhile, agony aunt Deidre Sanders praised Holly and This Morning amid claims of toxicity, saying it was “lovely to be back” and that “it’s great to work with you and it’s nice to be back in a kind, caring environment”.
The tension between Ruth and Holly has been noticed by fans, who have picked up on what they consider to be a little bit of shade from Ruth. However, the moment could have been entirely innocent, with Ruth greeting Holly at another point in the show.
Eamonn has been pretty scathing about Holly in recent interviews, while also claiming that the network forced him and Ruth off of their usual Friday slot on the show earlier this year. Despite this, Ruth has continued to appear frequently on This Morning. It remains to be seen if the tension between the two will continue, or if they will be able to smooth things over.
Perhaps the most concerning aspect of the saga is the allegations of toxicity that have been made about the show and its presenters. If the show has been fostering a culture in which people feel used and mistreated, there needs to be an urgent evaluation of how it is run, and changes need to be made. This should be a priority for the network and all involved with the show. After all, the fans who watch the show deserve better than a toxic environment, and those who work on it deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.
