This Morning’s Holly and Phil both ‘quit’ posting on Instagram after Queen ‘queue jumping’ row
THIS Morning hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have both apparently quit posting on Instagram following their queue jumping row.
Fans were left fuming amid claims the presenters skipped the queue to visit the Queen lying-in-state on Friday.
Holly, 41, and Phil, 60, took to Westminster Hall last week to film a segment for ITV show This Morning - passing by the Queen's coffin.
The presenting pair avoided the queue - which member of the public waited in for up to 14 hours - using their media passes.
Furious fans hit out in waves of backlash against them on social media.
Neither of the pair have posted on Instagram since the incident, with Phillip turning off commenting under his posts entirely.
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Meanwhile, despite thousands of hateful comments under her snaps, Holly is yet to respond on social media as she halted posting.
It comes after Holly and Phil returned to This Morning yesterday and addressed accusations they jumped the queue to see the Queen lying in state.
The presenting duo said they "understood" the backlash after they used media passes to access Westminster Hall after fellow celebrities queued for hours with members of the public.
Opening with a montage of emotional TV moments since Queen Elizabeth II's death, the pair then explained they were "given access" to the hall as members of the media.
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Holly told viewers as the footage aired: "Like hundreds of accredited broadcasters and journalists we were given official permission to access the hall.
"It was strictly for the purpose of reporting on the event for millions of people in the UK who haven’t been able to visit Westminster in person.
"The rules were that we would be quickly escorted around the edges to a platform at the back. In contrast those paying respects walked along a carpeted area beside the coffin and were given time to pause.
"None of the broadcasters and journalists took anyone's places in the queue and no one filed past the Queen.
"We of course respected those rules however we realised that it may have looked like something else and therefore we totally understand the reaction.
"Please know that we would never jump a queue."
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However fans were left unimpressed by their explanation - branding it a "pathetic excuse".
Another raged: "They still queue jumped. 'we would never jumped the queue' my a**e. They are not broadcasters, This morning is a talk show.
"Susanna Reid is a broadcaster for GMB and she waited hours like the rest of us. Holly and Phil have no shame, it’s a disgrace."
As a third typed: "Well, one for the 'Sorry if you thought it was wrong' scrapbook. S**t explanation, they aren't even journalists, it's a magazine programme, no need to be there at all, let alone jump in."
However, some fans were supportive of the pair with one tweeting: "Holly and Phillip didn’t jump the queue... there’s worst things in the world that are happening right now."
Another called their explanation that they were there to cover the event for This Morning "perfectly reasonable".
Despite the angry backlash, sources closes to Holly have insisted she will not quit the show - despite fears from producers.
An ITV source confirmed to The Sun: "Holly will not quit.
"She has been devastated by all the negative reaction after she turned up to work at Westminster Hall with Phil on Friday, but she's not going to resign.
"This Morning has been her life for more than a decade and the only way she'd consider quitting at this stage is if viewers really didn't want her there.
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"She's tried to give their side of the story on the show today and they're both hoping to move on from it now.
"Bosses know Holly is still a hit with viewers and are counting on her working her magic on the show for a good while yet."
