Holly Willoughby quits 'This Morning' - what went wrong at the once beloved show?

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Who doesn’t remember tuning in at 10am to see the TV duo Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield captivating their TV screens at least once in their lives? They have provided us with laughs, iconic interviews, cooking segments, as well as that iconic morning after the NTAs. The pair were also the face of ITV’s Dancing On Ice for a number of years - their relationship and dynamic had been loved by viewers for decades.

However, the pair angered the British public in September 2022, when they were seen skipping the queue to view the late Queen’s lying in state. This naturally sparked outrage at the time, and their behaviour was juxtaposed to the likes of other celebrities such as David Beckham, who queued like the rest of the public. Although ITV officials denied the pair skipped the queue, it  cast a negative light on them and reportedly caused a dent in their relationship. In fact, things escalated so much that there was a petition circulating to remove them from TV, with thousands signing it. As well as ‘Queuegate’, further controversy arose around the same period, when This Morning’s ‘Spin to Win’ game had a prize of your energy bills paid for 4 months. This left viewers disturbed, as typically, holidays and cash are up for grabs. Described as “dystopian” and “out of touch" by viewers, the prize was quickly removed from the game after a few days.

Just as it appeared things would gradually return to normal, in May 2023, Schofield’s affair with a much younger male colleague came to light. The colleague, who worked as a production assistant across ITV shows, had reportedly met Schofield aged just 15, when he visited his school for a talk. They allegedly began the affair in 2017, when the colleague was of age, but before Schofield separated from his wife. The scandal led to Schofield’s resignation from This Morning and, eventually, ITV as a whole. Willoughby remained quiet on the matter, and even prior to this scandal, the pair were rumoured to be not as close as they once were, as reported by The Sun. Once the tension was made public, the show was once again thrown under the bus when Schofield responded to the paper’s claims saying that the pair were still close, but had faced some tough months since Queuegate. However, when his scandal erupted, Willoughby’s short statement of shock was enough evidence that the pair were clearly not as close as they once were.

The Independent described 2023 as Willoughby’s annus horribilis, and rightfully so - just last week, Gavin Plumb of Essex was arrested and appeared in court over a plan to kidnap and murder the star, and Willoughby and her family were put under police protection. The next day, she took to Instagram to announce her departure from This Morning after 14 years, making its future more uncertain than ever. Losing both of its hosts in the space of six months certainly marks the end of an era, but with rumours of the likes of Alison Hammond becoming a permanent host, is there any saving the once beloved show from the turbulence it has faced this year? It has been suggested that ITV may reboot the show with a new studio, brand or presenters, but as of now, it is business as usual - as much as possible.