Both Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have been in hot water over the past week, following the 'queue-gate' controversy.
They were accused of skipping the queue to see the late Queen's coffin, sparking outrage and even a petition calling for them to be sacked which has more than 68,000 signatures. A picture of the pair appeared online, leading to many stating that celebrities such as David Beckham, Susanna Reid and Tilda Swinton queued with the public.
While the pair were viciously trolled. they have said that they were able to bypass the queue as they were there purely for work reasons, reports the Mirror. This Morning stated that this was the case a strongly worded statement which read: "Hello everyone, we would like to clarify something. We asked Phillip and Holly to be part of a film for this Tuesday’s programme.
"They did not jump the queue, have VIP access or file past the Queen lying in state – but instead were there in a professional capacity as part of the world’s media to report on the event."
More than a week on from the first mention of queue-gate, an insider involved in processing the media list has claimed to the Mail on Sunday that Holly and Phil's names were not on the official list - with ITV instead opting to use the names of their production team to help them gain access.
"When they got there, their names weren't on the list so there were some discussions and – after some back and forth – Phil and Holly were given access and they were ushered through." the source tells the publication, describing the situation as "a bit of a hoo-ha".
ITV insists they could not give out personal contact details of the on-screen stars to the Palace of Westminster authorities and instead used the email addresses of programme editor Martin Frizell and another team member from production, who both accompanied Holly and Phil on the day.
The two production members did not accompany Holly and Phil into Westminster Hall, where the award-winning TV stars stood in the press pen for 25 minutes.
In a statement issued to the Mail on Sunday, ITV said: "The accreditation was organised for Phillip and Holly by This Morning's production team and so while it was absolutely clear at the time of booking that Phillip and Holly would be attending to report for This Morning, we would never share personal contact details for any of our onscreen talent and so the email addresses of the production members accompanying Phillip and Holly on the day were instead given."
On Tuesday's This Morning, Holly looked to clarify what happened in a VT, as the now-infamous footage was aired for ITV viewers.
She said: "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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