Clash that caused breakfast TV co-hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield’s ‘fallout’ revealed

Relations between much-loved TV presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were so irreparable, he quit their morning show.

Holly Willoughby was incandescent with rage when Phillip Schofield refused to let her present This Morning alone on International Women’s Day, The Sun can reveal.

The clash was reportedly the start of the presenting duo’s bitter fallout before he quit the show last year.

But Phillip’s friends claim he felt he was “thrown under the bus” by being made to look as though he was causing trouble.

This Morning hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby had a bitter fallout before he quit last year.

A friend explained: “Phil said Holly was ‘incandescent’ about the whole thing. The next thing the ITV press team had a call from the press suggesting that Phil had been difficult.

“It felt like an orchestrated coup, that perhaps Holly wanted to present the show on her own and didn’t need Phil anymore.”

Their UK breakfast show won big at the National Television Awards in 2020. Picture: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

The row began with a terse exchange with the ITV flagship program’s chief Martin Frizell.

A friend said: “Phil got a text from Martin ­asking him to take the day off because Holly wanted to do the show herself.

“Martin told Phil something along the lines of the show wanting to give women in the UK a day off from everything — no washing, no chores.

Willoughby also left the show in late 2023 after a kidnap plot was foiled by police. Picture: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

Schofield’s alleged affair with an employee was also said to be the reason for his departure. Picture: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

“He wanted them to celebrate being women. Phil said what Martin was suggesting wasn’t what the day was about.

“For Phillip, who has two beloved daughters, it felt patronising and hugely demeaning.

“He told Martin it felt like 1950s misogyny and was demeaning to women and urged him to do something better.

“Martin then suggested he present a wine item, which left Phil going above his head and complaining to Emma Gormley, managing director of daytime.”

In the end, Holly, 43, presented the start of the show in March last year alone with female production staff, and Phillip, 62, joined her later.

The fresh claims come just days after The Sun revealed how Phillip branded Holly “the witch” and accused her directly of “bringing me down”.

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission