Phillip Schofield has spoken out after claims his friendship with fellow TV presenter Holly Willoughby was not what it seemed. The duo have presented a number of shows together, including Dancing on Ice and This Morning, and have a close friendship outside of work.
However, sources have suggested the duo are no longer "as close as they once were". The pair appeared on Thursday's episode of This Morning, May 11, and presented a united front to quash any claims, reports The Daily Mirror.
However, Phillip has since addressed the claims in a new interview, where he explained that Holly is always at his beck and call when he needs somebody to talk to about his personal troubles. He described her as being his "rock" during some of the most turbulent times in his life.
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Speaking to The Sun, he stated: "The last few weeks haven't been easy for either of us. My family went through a real ordeal.
"And Holly's support throughout meant the world to me, as did the support of my bosses at ITV, my editor Martin Frizell and the whole This Morning family, including our amazing viewers." Phillip explained that Holly had been his pal through "thick and thin".
Meanwhile, a source claimed it was "desperate stuff" from Phillip given the current state of their relationship. This comes after sources claimed Holly was prepared to front This Morning alone, if Phillip was to leave the programme.
Sources explained their frosty relationship is clear to see for those around the pair in the TV studio, and that it is completely different to how they appear on TV. Last year, Holly and Phil told The Mirror that they feel "at ease" with one another, whether they're presenting This Morning and also when they work on other shows together.
Holly said: "They're different shows and that's what's nice about it. There's a real ease when we work together.
"It's not like you're going in like, oh we need to find our feet or rhythm, it's an absolute given. It's nice to be doing something a bit different but still together."
Phil agreed, adding: "The lovely thing is, I get to spend even more time with my best mate. It's lovely and I adore Holly completely and absolutely and so to be able to joke around together, it's great."
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