Phillip Schofield unintentionally hinted at the infamous “queuegate” scandal while discussing royal news on This Morning.
In September, Schofield and his co-host Holly Willoughby found themselves at the centre of controversy after they were accused of “skipping the queue” to see the Queen’s lying in state before her funeral. Willoughby and Schofield, along with broadcaster ITV, denied the accusations.
The scandal has resurfaced following reports of “tension” between the presenters on the set of This Morning, with The Independent’s Louis Chilton writing that the pair have been “doomed since queuegate”.
During Wednesday’s episode (17 May) of the ITV daytime show, the pair discussed the day’s headlines with guest panellists.
While talking about the Princess of Wales revealing that she “had to learn” how to be a royal, Vanessa Feltz told the pair: “I was really lucky yesterday, because I was invited to one of the Buckingham Palace gardens.”
Sounding impressed, Willoughby said that Feltz was “so lucky”.
“Where’s our invite?” Schofield jokingly asked, with the team laughing at his comment and Willoughby moving the conversation along.
According to recent reports, Willoughby and Schofield’s relationship has become strained and they “barely speak” off camera.
In a statement shared last week, Schofield acknowleged that “the last few weeks haven’t been easy”.
However, he appeared to dispute claims that the pair no longer speak, saying: “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.”
You can find the full timeline of their alleged fallout here.
Fellow ITV presenter Lorraine Kelly has also spoken about the reported feud between the pair, saying that she thinks it is “unlikely” either Schofield or Willoughby will leave This Morning.
“Do you know what? They were back today and it was business as usual and everyone is just getting on with it,” she said.
“I would be sad if they left the show but I don’t think that is ever likely to happen and I think they’re just getting on with it,” Kelly added.
