HOL-Y MOLY
I’m a body language pro, the gesture that shows Phillip Schofield & uncomfortable Holly Willoughby are hiding a feud
HOLLY Willoughby looked “painfully uncomfortable” next to “childishly sarcastic” fellow host Phillip Schofield today on This Morning, amid rumours of a feud.
Insiders claim the stars are barely speaking off camera, and body language expert Judi James said this can be picked up in their on-screen interaction.
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The Sun revealed that Holly, 42, and 61-year-old Phil’s issues have “rumbled for some time” and their 14-year relationship has “cooled” during their time on the ITV show.
Judi James told Fabulous: “Holly and Phil have made careers out of their bullet-proof, pitch-perfect TV studio smiles that are performed under the most challenging of circumstances, but probably nothing has been quite as testing to those perky smiles as the current rumours of a conscious uncoupling.
“The first few moments of the show looked toe-curling.
“Phil was in jaunty overkill mode, looking super-perky and rather self-amused in a way that seemed to be served with a hint of sarcasm.
"Standing with a wide leg splay to signal power, strength and resilience he also looked incongruent as his hands were stuffed in his pockets, suggesting an inner desire to hide.
“Holly’s signals made her the grown-up to his child here.
“Her upper torso leaned away from Phil and she barely waved her arms to the music.
“Holly began to look uncomfortable, using some bent-wrist hand gestures and rubbing her forehead in a way that made her look passive.
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“As Phil got bouncier Holly got less comfortable, standing in the end clutching one wrist with her arms in a barrier ritual.”
Judi claims one moment in particular stood out for her for revealing their true feelings.
She continued: “One moment during their intro looked very telling, when Holly described herself as getting ‘emotional’ at home.
“Phil stared at her before saying ‘I can’t believe that!’ in a sarcastic-sounding tone before looking straight back at the camera, parting his lips and baring his teeth.”
This follows a source saying Holly would do the show without Phillip, with them claiming: “Should he leave, she’d want to stay.”
The pair have presented the hit ITV daytime show for 14 years but in recent months their partnership has come under strain.
Sources say issues have been quietly rumbling for some time and Holly has distanced herself from Phil off camera.
His absence following his paedophile brother’s recent court case has added to the strain.
A source said: “Holly adores This Morning and for the first time in 14 years she has made it clear that should Phil ever leave she would want to stay. They are separate entities.
“To those around them on set, it has become clear recently that Holly and Phil are not as close as they once were.
“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.
“Before there would be a lot of banter and camaraderie off camera but that has dwindled.”
The pair’s reign as the king and queen of daytime TV has seen them haul in 12 National Television Awards.
But show staffers say the pair now do not seem to speak to each other unless on camera.
The insider said: “Holly and Phil have gone through rough patches before like any professional pairing who have worked together for over a decade.
“Before they have always seemed to move on, but this time it seems different.”
Holly took over from Fern Britton in 2009.
Phil lobbied ITV bosses to bring her on board following their success presenting Dancing On Ice which began three years earlier.
Their partnership also became successful off screen as they regularly holidayed with their extended families.
Holly also became Phil’s “rock” when he came out as gay live on This Morning in February 2020.
But the past year has been difficult for their partnership.
In September they were accused of skipping the queue to see the Queen’s Lying-in-State.
Last month Phil took a break from This Morning when brother Timothy Schofield, 54, faced court.
The civilian police worker, from Bath, was found guilty of 11 offences involving a child between 2016 and 2019.
He is due to be sentenced next week.
During Phil’s absence Holly was paired with Alison Hammond and Joel Dommett.
Fans applauded the fresh look, and questions were raised about Phil’s return.
A source continued: “Holly has always supported Phil but they aren’t Ant and Dec.
“In the past year alone she’s hosted shows for ITV and the BBC and has more than proved her mettle.
“This Morning is Holly’s home and she adores her job.
“Her bosses at ITV know she would wish to stay if Phil ever did choose to move on.
“Holly is focused on her career and doing the best job she can for fans. That is what really matters to her.”
Both Holly and Phil attended the 50th birthday of their comedian pal Leigh Francis last month.
They shared selfies from the night on their social media but were not pictured together.
The insider added: “Holly and Phil have respect for one another and together they have a huge amount of history on screen together.
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“But it has become an open secret that things aren’t as rosy as they once were.
“Holly however has made her position clear and that is that she wants to remain at the heart of This Morning.”
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