Rumours of a rift between This Morning co-stars Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have been rife over recent weeks, and following Phil's bombshell statement, new details have emerged.
According to reports, Holly, 42, was "deeply upset" when she found out about 61 year old Phil's brother being on trial from a third party – however, a source close to her one-time pal has denied this.
Timothy Schofield stood trial earlier this year and was convicted of 11 sexual offences.
Sources have claimed Phillip did not confide in his This Morning co-star and she was unaware of the trial until Phillip took a week's leave from the ITV daytime show in March, the Daily Mail reports.
Sources close to Wylde Moon founder Holly have claimed that was "deeply upset" when she found out about Timothy's trial from someone else, according to the Daily Mail.
OK! has contacted representatives for both Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
Phillip has experienced a tumultuous few months with his brother's trial, and now reports of a rift between him and Holly have started circulating.
It has been claimed that the This Morning hosts, who are famed for their close friendship, are "barely speaking" off-camera at the moment and have "become more distant".
Phillip released a surprise statement on Thursday evening which is understood to have been a bid to salvage his friendship with co-star Holly, who he describes as his "rock".
"The last few weeks haven’t been easy for either of us," the 61 year old said. "As I have said before, Holly is my rock."
He continued to The Sun: "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."
However, his statement reportedly came as a shock to Holly, with a source close to the TV presenter telling the Daily Mail that Holly had no idea Phillip was going to make a statement.
They added that the first she saw of it was when it was published online last night.
The statement came after it was reported that Holly had made it clear that "should Phil ever leave she would want to stay" on This Morning, despite hosting the show together since 2009.
"They are separate entities," a source told The Sun yesterday. "It has become an open secret that things aren't as rosy as they once were."
They added that the rift was "clear" to people working with the duo on This Morning, saying: "Professionally you would have no idea there was anything going on because on camera they are acting exactly the same, but behind the scenes their relationship has cooled."
READ MORE
- Click here for today's top showbiz news
Love Island's Samie and Claudia party with exes Tom and Casey amid reunion talk
Carol Vorderman and Paul Burrell eliminated from I’m A Celeb as finalists are revealed
Georgia Kousoulou praised by fans as she documents heartbreaking miscarriage
Emmerdale fans relieved as heartbroken Charity rumbles Mack and Chloe's secret
Source: Read Full Article
