Holly Willoughby has denied that she and Phillip Schofield 'jumped the queue' to see the Queen's coffin at Westminster Hall, telling This Morning viewers that she and her co-host would 'never' do such a thing.
The presenting pair landed in hot water with many people online on Friday afternoon when they were spotted by people watching the BBC live feed of the Queen lying in state, in a separate queue to members of the public, with critics immediately accusing them of 'pushing in', as the likes of David Beckham and Susanna Reid queued up for hours alongside everyone else.
A spokesperson for the hosts immediately shot down the allegations, saying: "They did not get to pay their respects to the Queen in the same way as queuing members of the public but they filmed in a section put aside for press." This Morning then released a statement on Saturday night, taking the same stance, posting: "Hello everyone, we'd like to clarify something. We asked Phillip and Holly to be part of a film for this Tuesday's programme.
READ MORE : Huw Edwards calls out Westminster Hall 'queue jumpers' in BBC dig
"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."
And now Holly herself has tackled the accusations against her and Phillip head on, in a piece that aired near the start of Tuesday's This Morning. Footage of Phillip and Holly speaking to people in the queue and then speaking to camera outside the Hall played out on screen as 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 hadn't been able to visit Westminster in person.
Holly continued: "The rules were were that we'd be quickly escorted round 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 there took anyone's place in the queue and no-one of course filed past the Queen."
She ended: "We of course respected those rules, however we realise 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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