Susanna Reid’s ‘subtle dig’ at This Morning’s Phil and Holly about ‘enormous privilege’ to queue for Queen’s coffin
SUSANNA Reid made a subtle dig at Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby as they face criticism for "queue-jumping".
The Good Morning Britain presenter, 51, said she was "proud" of her 81-year-old mum who stood with her for seven hours to see the Queen's coffin.
Meanwhile Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield are under fire after being seen at Westminster Hall where the Queen was lying-in-state - without joining the long queue like Susanna and David Beckham.
There's even been a petition launched to have them axed from presenting the daytime show.
Recalling her own experience of queuing, Susanna said today: "It is an enormous privilege to have been able to do that, to spend time paying our last respects, but also those hours in the queue as well, coming to an end now."
Her co-host Ben Shephard replied: "It’s huge commitment, when we were talking and you were in the queue for seven hours and 20minutes in total with your mum and a friend,
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"When you do anything like that, and endeavour, because it really is an endeavour to stay that long for this moment, you can understand why, for some, they are overwhelmed with emotion."
Susanna agreed: "Whether you are religious or not, a royalist or not, it feels like a sort of pilgrimage, and a historic moment, a historic opportunity.
"When I was in the queue, young children, patiently and uncomplainingly stood for hours. I was so proud of my mum at 81 queuing with me."
The channel insists they "did not file past the Queen's coffin", but were being escorted to work from the press gallery by government staff.
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"Any allegations of improper behaviour are categorically untrue," an ITV spokesman said, as they explained the presenters were working as journalists at the historic event.
However, viewers are still claiming they won't be watching when the daytime show returns on Tuesday.