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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Amy Denman

Phillip Schofield looks downcast ahead of This Morning return amid Holly Willoughby 'feud'

Phillip Schofield has been photographed looking downcast as he was photographed ahead of his return to the This Morning set today.

The 61-year-old presenter cut a casual look in a light coloured shirt and blue jeans and brown shoes as he left his West London home this morning as he plans to "tough out" his 'feud' with Holly.

He wore a black bag on his shoulder as he made his way from his home into an awaiting BMW at around 6.30am today.

Phillip, who has hosted This Morning since 2002, looked down towards the ground as he walked towards his transport and struck a straight-faced expression amid rumours of a feud with his This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby.

Meanwhile, Holly was snapped leaving her home at 7am.

ITV confirmed to the Mirror that Phil and 42-year-old Holly will be appearing alongside one another on This Morning later today despite ingoing rumours of a feud between the pair.

Phillip Schofield has broken cover ahead of his appearance on This Morning today (CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
TV presenter Phil looked downcast as he left his west London home (CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)

The pair have been facing mounting pressure in recent months from criticism over false claims of queue skipping to see the late Queen lying in state, Phil taking time away from This Morning while his brother was on trial for sex crimes, and the fact Holly was absent when Phil finally returned to screens.

Last week it was reported Holly was "barely speaking" to her former TV bestie as their friendship has "cooled".

Following the claims, Phillip spoke out on his friendship with Holly in a lengthy statement to The Sun, where he pleaded: "The last few weeks haven't been easy for either of us. My family went through a real ordeal.

Rumours of a feud between Holly and Phil have been boiling in recent days (CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
Phillip will appear alongside Holly on This Morning today (CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)

"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" but a source later told the Mirror the statement only "made things worse" between Phil and Holly.

One insider said: "This Morning’s relationship with its viewers is built on trust, and they have to believe that Holly and Phil’s friendship, and what they’re watching, is real.

"While there was a bit of noise and speculation about their relationship cooling, it could have easily been ignored."

The TV presenter got into an awaiting vehicle (CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
Phillip has hosted the ITV daytime show since 2002 (CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)

They added: "But by putting this statement out there, he has turned what was a manageable situation into a feeding frenzy. If viewers now no longer believe in the pair, and make their views clear next week, make no mistake, ITV will act."

Following Phillip's "fall from grace", Holly has piled pressure on ITV's bosses to begin contract negotiations to reach a decision on This Morning's future line-up.

A source said told the Mirror: "Holly was considering her position on the show earlier this year, as she couldn’t see Phil being ousted.

Holly and Phil's friendship is said to have 'cooled' (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

"But that is now a real possibility and she wants to see a decision made on both of their futures quickly.

"That is what is behind Holly asking her team to reach out to ITV – she is trying to move things forward.

"There has been no bloodbath meeting yet, but that could well be to come. The sooner it happens, the sooner she can rebrand herself."

The pair are set to present today's show together, with many keen to see if the chemistry between the pair has disappeared.

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