This Morning fans have been subjected to endless speculation about behind-the-scenes drama on the set of the ITV show since Schofe’s resignation.
And, as a result, they all have a lot of questions about what exactly happened with Phillip Schofield and his “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger colleague.
There are also a lot of questions about what the other stars of the show knew, and what will happen with the future of This Morning. Here are the six questions that need to be answered ahead of the show’s return now…
Did producers know about the Phillip affair or not?
ITV made a clear statement that it did now know about Phillip Schofield’s affair. Phil also made it clear that he “lied” to ITV. While ITV did investigate rumours of the affair, the channel said it found “no evidence” it was actually happening. ITV also said Phillip and the younger colleague denied the affair.
But Eamonn Holmes has made a very different allegation. He tweeted: “Four high members of ITV management knew what sort of man he was.” So who really knew about Phil’s affair? Did producers just accept that Phil was telling the truth at the time and never questioned it further?
One person said: “ITV have just said no mistakes were made in their investigation into Schofield. Is ITV having a laugh?” Another person imagined a conversation between TV bosses and Schofe. They speculated: “‘Did you do it?’ ‘No, I didn’t.’ ‘That’s okay then. On you go.’ A really thorough investigation by ITV.”
What did other This Morning hosts know about the ITV drama?
Holly Willoughby said she asked Phil herself when “reports of this relationship first surfaced”. At the time, Phil denied that it was true and she “believed” him. As Holly admits she was hurt to find out the truth, it’s left This Morning fans questioning what other hosts knew about the affair.
ITV needs to get rid of This Morning. Too many presenters and experts with the baggage of ‘what did they know?’
If rumours were swirling around the set, it’s led fans to wonder if hosts perhaps knew about Phil’s “unwise” affair. One person ranted: “What about the other people on This Morning who are all staying very quiet? Did they all know? And chose to not say anything to keep their jobs?”
Another person said: “ITV needs to get rid of This Morning. Too many presenters and experts with the baggage of ‘what did they know?'”
Why was the younger colleague moved to Loose Women?
Reports have now claimed that Phillip’s unnamed younger lover was moved to Loose Women after his time on This Morning. Reports have suggested things “turned sour” between the pair – but why exactly was the younger colleague moved to Loose Women?
Dan Wootton claimed that Loose Women stars “made complaints” about the move, as they “didn’t want to deal” with Phillip’s situation. While moving to Loose Women could’ve been a genuine career progression for the young man, it’s hard to believe ITV didn’t know about the affair if the star was moved to Loose Women over his relationship with Phil was reportedly turning “sour”.
One person alleged: “The lad involved was promptly moved to Loose Women. Which means ITV knew.” A second person speculated: “That’s why the lad was moved on to Loose Women, if you think she [Holly] didn’t know about them you need to have a word with yourself.”
This Morning ITV: Will Holly stay?
Now everyone is left wondering – will Holly Willoughby stay on This Morning? While Holly categorically denies she knew the truth about the affair, it seems like many fans do not believe her. This Morning bosses are also reportedly fearing a “mass exodus” of presenter exits, amid reports one star has drafted their notice.
And many fans seem to think it is Holly. One fan said: “I think she needs to go.” Another person speculated: “If there was any chance of Holly Willoughby returning to This Morning, this revelation has completely shattered that from happening. Resignation post incoming.”
Will she acknowledge everything that happened with Phil?
If she doesn’t resign, Holly is set to return to This Morning on June 5 after taking an early half-term break. But will she acknowledge Phil’s exit and his admission about his lie when she returns?
While it seemed more likely that she might’ve initially addressed his exit, after Phillip’s admission of deception, it feels less likely. But if Holly wants to be open and honest with the audience who have loved her over the past decade, shouldn’t she acknowledge it? One person wrote: “The public are surely not so stupid to keep blithely watching when Holly returns?”
What will happen with the future of This Morning?
At this stage, it’s hard to imagine This Morning can just expect viewers to accept a normal episode on Monday morning. Too many rumours, speculation and allegations have been revealed for the show to act like nothing has happened.
While ITV has denied that there are talks about the show being axed, at this stage, many fans are expecting it. They’ve lost a lot of trust in the show and its stars and ITV will likely have big questions to answer about the future of This Morning. One person said: “How is This Morning going to move on from this?”
Another person asked ITV for a complete daytime overhaul. They said: “I think ITV should axe GMB, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women. They’ve all had their time. How about making good quality daytime TV shows instead of eight hours of live back-to-back interviews every day?”
So will This Morning just ignore it all and attempt a normal episode? We’ll have to wait and see…
Read more: This Morning stars ‘considering their future’ as ‘toxic’ show faces ‘mass exodus’
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