ROUGH MORNING
All the signs Phil was set to quit This Morning after ‘difficult’ week
PHILLIP Schofield announced he was stepping down from This Morning with "immediate effect."
The Sun previously reported that Phil faced the axe from the flagship ITV daytime show amid a “seismic” summer shake-up.
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But the star revealed he would be stepping down from the chat show after over 13 years presenting the programme after what was a "difficult week."
Body Language
Insiders claim that Phillip, 61, and Holly, 42, were barely speaking off camera, and body language expert Judi James said this could be picked up in their previous on-screen interaction.
She told Fabulous: "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.
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“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."
Judi also claimed 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.
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“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.”
Holly's early exit
Earlier this week in a first for the star, Holly Willoughby left fans gobsmacked as she Phillip Schofield presented part of the show alone.
The presenter exited This Morning early to fulfil a prior commitment – in an extraordinary and unheard of move for the star.
Holly, who spent yesterday presenting an award for Princes’ Trust, revealed: “I have put my posh dress on today because later on this afternoon I am heading to Buckingham Palace and there the King will be and we will get to introduce the winners.”
Phil quipped: “So you are off mid dayish and I am holding the fort.”
Holly replied: “Yes you are, thank you very much.”
As she headed off at midday, Phil and Holly hugged and kissed in a very amorous display.
Holly told him: "Be good, don't be naughty."
Phillip's time off
Phillip, 61, went missing from the programme last month, with his co-presenter Holly instead joined by Alison Hammond.
The presenter took time out amid his brother's sex case trial, which saw Timothy, 54, convicted of 11 sexual offences involving a child over three years from October 2016, including two of sexual activity.
In the wake of the ruling, Phillip said in a statement: “If any crime had ever been confessed to me, I would have acted immediately. As far as I'm concerned, I no longer have a brother."
ITV chiefs had suggested more time off, according to , having had a chance to test out a range of hosts in his absence.
That was said to have been met by a backlash from Phil's management at the talent agency YMU who represent a number of ITV stars.
A source told the publication: "YMU’s view was the sooner Phillip was back the better.
"But ITV offered him the chance to have more time off. They felt a longer break would benefit him as he has been in bits at points over the past few weeks.
"They were also keen to see how audiences responded to other presenters."
We Buy Any Car axe
Back in October Philip was was dropped as the £1million face of the car-buying firm.
The This Morning presenter, 60, was replaced in his lucrative webuyanycar.com adverts by a viral TikTok dancer.
This was following a huge backlash after jumping the 12-hour queue into Westminster Hall to pay respects to the Queen.
Phillip has been replaced by TikTok star Mufasa, real name Jeff Obeng, who has racked up 892,600 followers through his wacky routines from the passenger seat of a car.
A source said: “Mufasa is just what the brand needs to inject some energy into the adverts after the backlash following ‘queue-gate’.
“Bosses had to make a quick decision after Schofield was axed, and the hope is that a TikTok star will also appeal to a younger audience.”
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Adverts were transformed with “wejumpanyqueue.com” branding with Holly and Phil standing in front of a line of people.
Webuyanycar.com insisted that the decision to part ways with Phillip after more than five years was not connected to what happened at the Lying-in-State.
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