Holly Willoughby issues statement as Phillip Schofield leaves show – live

Holly Willoughby has thanked her outgoing co-star for “13 great years presenting” after he announced he was leaving This Morning show with immediate effect following a reported feud between the pair.

In a short statement after Mr Schofield announced his departure, Ms Willoughby thanked her former colleague for “all of his knowledge, his experience and his humour.”

She added: “The sofa won’t feel the same without him.”

Everyone needs a “work spouse”.

You start out as friends but pretty soon you are sharing pointed looks, finishing each other’s sandwiches and are, from the moment you walk through that office door in the morning, joined at the hip.

Read more from Katie Edwards here:

Last saturday (13 May), Phillip Schofield issued an unprecedented statement in which he admitted “the last few weeks haven’t been easy for either of us.”

At the time, he continued to insist that Holly Willoughby was his “rock”.

You can read more about the state of play just one week ago here:

His last time presenting the ITV programme was on Thursday 18 May, bringing his presenting role of 21 years to a sudden close.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the This Morning co-hosts’ relationship is strained, and that they “barely speak” off camera.

Schofield acknowledged that “the last few weeks haven’t been easy”, but was initially keen to pour water on the claims, stating: “We’re the best of friends – as always, she is an incredible support on screen, behind the scenes and on the phone. Holly has always been there for me, through thick and thin. And I’ve been there for her.”

Read everything we know about the pair’s rift’:

After more than a decade of presenting ITV’s flagship morning show together, Phillip Schofield’s onscreen partnership with Holly Willoughby has ended with the news that he is leaving the show.

Reacting to the news after weeks of speculation that all was not well between the pair, Ms Willoughby said: “It’s been over 13 great years presenting This Morning with Phil and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for all of his knowledge, his experience and his humour.”

“The sofa won’t feel the same without him.”

Kelly is the host of daily talk show Lorraine, which airs before This Morning on weekdays on ITV.

Speaking to The Sun earlier this week, Kelly alluded to recent reports of behind-the-scenes “tension” between Willoughby, 42, and co-presenter Schofield, 61.

“Do you know what? They were back today and it was business as usual and everyone is just getting on with it,” she said.

Kelly is also quoted as saying it is “unlikely” that either This Morning presenter will leave the show.

An emotional Schofield told the audience: “Please don’t ever feel like we get complacent and please don’t think we ever take this for granted. This means so much to us every year, especially this year.”

The ceremony came around a month after Willoughby and Schofield found themselves at the centre of much public controversy, after they were accused of “jumping the queue” to see Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin lying in state.

ITV bosses defended the presenters, stating that they had visited the site as accredited members of the media.

Amid reports that Phillip Schofield may be headed to Channel Five, what we have heard so far would suggest that ITV is very much intending to keep him on their channel.

“We look forward to continuing our relationship with Phillip starting with The British Soap Awards in June and a brand new peak time series to come”, said Kevin Lygo, ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment in a statement.

“Phillip is hands down one of the best broadcasters of his generation and we thank him for his two decades worth of absolutely terrific television on the This Morning sofa.”

Schofield began working on This Morning in 2002, with Holly Willoughby joining him in 2009.

It is unclear what the new “peak time” programme is at this point, but it would seem ITV are loathe to drop a figure who is widely regarded as one of their top presenting talents.

Following his departure, here is a look at the runners and riders who could replace Phillip Schofield on the sofa.

ITV has already said Holly Willoughby will remain on the show and will “co-present with members of the This Morning family”, but who are thr favourites?

The 49-year-old broadcaster is a hot contender as he currently co-hosts This Morning alongside Alison Hammond on Fridays, taking over from Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford in 2021.

The beloved presenter, 48, is also a strong possibility due to her experience on the show, with Ladbrokes making her the favourite with 2/1 odds.

However, her schedule may be full as it was announced earlier this year that she will be joining The Great British Bake Off as the show’s new co-host alongside comedian Noel Fielding from the next series.

The Saturdays singer, and former host of The Xtra Factor, is a regular guest host on This Morning.

She also filled in for Willoughby on the breakfast show when the TV star flew to Australia in 2018 to stand in for Ant McPartlin on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!. Humes, 34, who currently presents BBC One gameshow The Hit List with her husband, JLS star Marvin, has been given 6/1 odds.

The singer, 38, has presented alongside his wife Rochelle on This Morning on a number of occasions since 2013 making him another strong option, with 8/1 odds.

The X Factor singer-turned-presenter, 34, used to regularly host segments on This Morning and has also stepped in to present the show on occasion. It was also announced last month that he was quitting as as a presenter of Strictly Come Dancing’s spin-off show It Takes Two. He has 3/1 odds.

The 2010 Big Brother winner, 38, joined the ITV show in 2019 and has co-hosted on a number of occasions as a relief presenter. Gibson, who has fronted the programme alongside the likes of Vernon Kay, has been given 10/1 odds.

The Italian TV chef, 46, could be a surprise addition to the This Morning coach, with Ladbrokes giving him odds of 25/1.

He rose to fame as a regular cook on the ITV morning show and has since presented cookery programmes including Let’s Do Lunch and Gino’s Italian Escape.

I don’t mean that it should be bad, I just mean that it should be a lull. Something you had on in the background when you were off school sick or, as an adult, something you had on over breakfast on a day off.

As someone with who follows politics and current affairs, it’s also useful for tracking when a story has “broken through”; in other words when something on my “For You” tab on Twitter is featuring in more mainstream discourse. There’s a reason why This Morning is listed as a magazine programme. It’s a TV show covering stories that you might read about in a dentist’s waiting room. The magazine is never the story, it’s the means through which we access the story. So the fact that Phillip Schofield had – as he acknowledged on his Instagram page – become the story himself, posed a problem.

Read more from Clare Morrison here: