ITV defends Phillip Schofield against Amanda Holden feud claims
ITV have denied claims Phillip Schofield blocked Amanda Holden from co-hosting This Morning.
Holden, 48, and Schofield, 57, have become embroiled in a ‘feud’ after the Britain’s Got Talent judge blamed Schofield when she lost out to Rochelle Humes as Holly Willoughby’s stand-in on the show last year.
But ITV have now denied that Schofield would have made the decision as to who would cover co-hosting This Morning for Willoughby when she went to Australia to present I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
Read more: Holly Willoughby wants to end Schofield and Holden row
A spokesperson said: "These reports are completely untrue. Presenters don't make decisions regarding who appears on the show."
It was previously reported that Holden - who covered fro Willoughby on the ITV daytime show when she went on maternity leave in 2014 - had been set to fill the spot on the sofa once again, only for ITV executives to change their minds at the last minute.
A former daytime TV executive said: “Phillip actively campaigned for Rochelle Humes to get the job despite Amanda being more experienced — and having been told privately she’d got the gig.
"She feels Phil unfairly used his powers of persuasion. She was told he’d chosen Rochelle because she was easier to ‘manage’ on air - and understandably that incensed her."
Holden is believed to have raised the issue with ITV chief Kevin Lygo.
Read more: Piers Morgan defends Amanda Holden
She has spoken out about the feud with Schofield on her Heart FM radio breakfast show.
Holden told co-host Jamie Theakston: “I did offer to meet him for a coffee months ago, he didn’t reply to my text. What can I say?”
Schofield has said he has been very upset by the reports about his working manner off-camera.
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.
— Phillip Schofield (@Schofe) June 23, 2019
He tweeted: “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.”
