Holly Willoughby will not quit This Morning after the huge queue jumping row, a show insider has claimed.
The TV presenter, 41, and co-host Philip Schofield, 60, were met with fury when people thought they had 'skipped the queue' to see the Queen lying in state on Friday, but ITV later clarified the pair were there in a professional capacity to film for the show.
Despite this some were still left outraged and claimed that Holly and Phil should apologise on air when the show returned today.
Now an ITV source has confirmed that Holly will not leave her post, after she addressed the situation on This Morning today.
They told 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.
"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."
The source added that show bosses know Holly is a "hit with viewers" and are counting on her remaining "for a good while yet."
The pair were criticised on social media after they appeared inside Westminster Hall on Friday without taking part in the public line.
Programme bosses later said in a statement that the hosting duo had attended to film a segment for Tuesday’s show.
During the special edition reflecting on the days since the Queen’s death, aired today, Willoughby said in a voiceover: “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 have not 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 respect 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 filed past the Queen. We of course respected those rules.
“However, we realise that it may have looked like something else, and therefore totally understand the reaction. Please know that we would never jump a queue.”
This Morning previously addressed the visit in a statement posted on Instagram on Saturday, saying: “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.”
Some media and MPs were able to bypass the queue and access Westminster Hall during the roughly four-day lying in state.
During that period, the queue swelled in size and at some points reached a wait time of “at least 24 hours”.
The lying in state was also broadcast live and 24/7 by a number of broadcasters including the BBC and Sky News.
