It was announced over the weekend that Phillip Schofield was stepping down from ITV’s This Morning after more than 20 years.
The news of course follows weeks of intense speculation about an alleged feud between Phillip and co-host Holly Willoughby.
In a statement released via ITV on Saturday afternoon, Phillip said he had agreed to “step down from This Morning with immediate effect” since “ITV has decided the current situation can’t go on”.
This means that Phillip’s appearance on the show on Thursday (May 19) was his last.
Now, reports from The Sun claim to have spilled the tea on exactly how Phillip’s resignation went down.
They claim the presenter was sacked just minutes after coming off air on Thursday, brutally denying him any chance to say goodbye.
What really happened when Phillip Schofield was axed?
The Sun claim that mere minutes after coming off air on Thursday, Phillip was called into a room with show chief Martin Frizzell.
ITV bosses had to choose which horse to back
Apparently, the show chief abruptly told him that his contract, due to end this summer, was not being renewed.
“ITV bosses had to choose which horse to back — Phil or Holly,” a source allegedly told The Sun.
They claimed a decision had been made during various crisis meetings, “Producers had to think about the longevity of the show. Holly was its future and they want to keep her happy.”
The source claimed staff had been told to prepare for a big announcement on June 6. However, it seems Phillip’s axing was suddenly brought forward.
The decision was apparently so last-minute that even “crew were none the wiser when they left work on Friday afternoon and were fully expecting to see Phil turn up to work on Monday.”
Phillip then reportedly drove all the way down to Cornwall to come to term with the news with his mum. The pair were apparently spotted on a coastal walk.
The newspaper also reported that Phillip and Holly have engaged in peace talks following the news.
A source apparently claimed: “They talked about the end of an era and called something of a truce.”
Phillip made no mention of Holly in his statement. But Holly did issue her own thanking Phil “for all of his knowledge, his experience and his humour.”
Read More: OPINION: Hold up, what is Phillip Schofield actually supposed to have done wrong?
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