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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Tobi Akingbade

This Morning 'rows': A timeline of Phillip Schofield's alleged drama with Amanda Holden and Ruth Langsford

This Morning added yet another National Television Award to its collection this week, but it was an awkward moment during the gang's acceptance speech that got people talking.

The ITV show won the Best Live Magazine Show accolade for the 10th year running and Phillip Schofield, Holly Willoughby, Ruth Langsford, Eamonn Holmes and Rochelle Humes led the team on stage to collect the prize - but claims of frosty energy threatened to overshadow the moment.

While bosses have maintained the show's hosts get on well, fans claimed Langsford was "forcing" a smile after sharing a stage with Schofield, who she's allegedly clashed with.

Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes apparently butted heads with Phil Schofield (Dave Benett)

The alleged drama is the latest in a long line of incidents that have hit headlines.

While Schofield has maintained there's no bad blood, feud rumours have persisted, with Amanda Holden alluding to a fallout between herself and the This Morning host.

Where did it all begin? Let's take a trip down memory lane...

August 2015: Phillip Schofield calls co-hosting with Amanda Holden “scary”

Starting the story requires a leap back to 2015.

After Holden covered for Willoughby’s maternity leave, Schofield was asked how he found working with the star on This Morning, telling Heat magazine:“She kept me on my toes.

“She has a faulty edit button and she forgets she’s on the telly, which is enormously endearing and funny, but occasionally quite scary.”

And it seems the comment didn't go down well...

October 2018: Amanda "confronts Phillip" in the middle of a TV interview

Fast forward to a three years later, Holden appeared on This Morning as a guest where she was interviewed by Schofield about the legacy of her stillborn son.

At the time, ITV were looking for someone to replace Willoughby while she was in Australia.

Rochelle Humes ultimately got the job and while news of her appointment wasn't public at tihs time, Holden allegedly already knew she'd missed out on the job - and chose to confront Schofield during an advert break.

The Sun claimed that Holden had indeed been lined up for the job but ITV had withdrawn the offer at the last minute - adding that Schofield allegedly influenced the decision.

The paper said Schofield was “lost for words” after Holden’s allegations, but didn’t have an opportunity to respond as the show was going back on air.

Neither stars' representatives commented at the time.

April 2019: Phil Schofield cuts Ruth Langsford off on live TV

The following year, Schofield interrupted Langsford as she tried to present a preview link of Loose Women, during an episode of This Morning.

The live clip ended with Langsford slamming her pen down in fury.

She was said to have been left enraged after the on-air argument and reportedly complained to ITV’s head of daytime TV Emma Gormley over Schofield's conduct.

Schofield did not comment on these reports.

June 2019: Amanda Holden hits out at Phillip Schofield

Amanda Holden spoke out on Heart radio (Heart Radio)

While presenting Heart’s breakfast show, Holden's co-host Jamie Theakston put some quick fire questions to her in a segment called Holden’s Hot Seat.

He asked Holden to name the three things she’d least like to find in her house.

She listed “Spiders”,” flies,” before adding, “And Phillip Schofield.”

Ouch.

June 2019: Feud reports return

Holly and Phil are the main This Morning presenters (ITV)

Schofield made headlines once more when extended claims about his and Holden’s feud were published in the tabloids after reports of an alleged disagreement between Schofield and Willoughby.

The Sun reported that Holden had complained about Schofield to ITV boss Kevin Lygo at a meeting in September 2018.

Holden was said to be irritated by allegations Schofield had called her “difficult to manage”, with the paper also quoting an unnamed former ITV executive who claimed that Phillip had “actively campaigned for Rochelle to get the [This Morning] job” because she was “easier to ‘manage’ on air.”

However, ITV denied that Schofield had anything to do with Humes’ hiring, saying in a statement: “Presenter line-ups on This Morning change regularly. Final decisions are made by producers, not presenters.

“Phillip is a much-loved broadcaster and part of the ITV family. He’s a consummate professional and held in high regard at ITV.

“Amanda is also held in high regard as a judge on one of our biggest shows,” they added referring to Britain’s Got Talent.

June 2019: Phillip Schofield finally speaks out

Schofield broke his silence following the reports regarding his alleged feuds.

While he didn’t directly address the rumours, he hit out at “hurtful and wildly untrue stories" via Twitter.

He wrote: “The end of another really sad weekend. When you try for 35 years to be the easiest, most fun person to work with and you read such hurtful and wildly untrue stories from nameless ‘sources’.

“Obviously I’ll take it on the chin.. I just hope you know me better.”

June 2019 (again): Amanda Holden speaks out (again)

She said it's

Holden once again used her platform on Heart Radio to address the latest reports.

After Schofield's statement, Holden said: “I mean, you know it’s not great waking up to headlines like that.”

The BGT judge also claimed she had tried to reach out to Schofield “months ago” by offering to meet up for a coffee but that he “didn’t reply to her text.”

December 2019: Ruth Langsford's “official complaint”

The Sun revealed that Ruth Langsford made an official complaint against Schofield while eight other ITV presenters allegedly claimed to them that there was a “toxic” environment at This Morning.

A source revealed: “Ruth and Eamonn both appear to be treated harshly by Phillip.

"After Phillip literally cut her off in the middle of a sentence on air when she was hosting Loose Women she decided enough was enough. Yet again nothing changed.”

TV denied the claims that multiple this Morning presenters had made complaints about Schofield.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the channel said: "It’s deeply disappointing and unfair for Phillip to be the target of this sort of malicious gossip.

"Phillip is a much-respected broadcaster and colleague and this is absolutely not a description of This Morning that we recognise.

"Holly and Phil are great friends both on and off-screen and are popular among viewers and colleagues alike."

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