Phillip Schofield's recent "fall from grace" has led to him being described as "The Grim Reaper" by an insider from This Morning.
It has been reported that his relationship with co-presenter Holly Willoughby has been teetering on the rocks, prompting him to release an emotional statement on their friendship.
The ITV presenter said "the last few weeks haven't been easy for either of us" which came as a shock to Holly and the rest of the This Morning team.
The Mirror reports that it comes as sources revealed Phil has fallen from grace after years of behind-the-scenes tension and he has even been jokingly nicknamed The Grim Reaper. And now, insiders told how Phil’s exit from the sofa would also be welcomed by some staff.
One said: “Phil has been seen as untouchable for years which has also given him an unprecedented level of control. He is nicknamed The Grim Reaper by some people who don’t get on with him."
They added: "He is obviously very passionate about the show, but the way he goes about exercising his influence has made him very unpopular with some.”
The reports come after Phillip released a statement about his friendship with Holly. He said: "The last few weeks haven’t been easy for either of us. As I have said before, Holly is my rock.
"We’re the best of friends – as always, she is an incredible support on screen, behind the scenes and on the phone."
Phillip added to The Sun : "Holly has always been there for me, through thick and thin. And I’ve been there for her."
The pair have taken on presenting duties with shows like Dancing On Ice and This Morning for many years. But outside of work, sources have recently suggested that the best friends are not "as close as they once were".
However, they appeared together during last week’s episodes of This Morning and put on a united front in a bid to silence any claims.
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