Holly Willoughby’s reaction to being branded ‘a witch’ by Phillip Schofield
Holly Willoughby has shrugged off Phillip Schofield's cruel nickname for her, with friends saying the television presenter "couldn't care less". Phillip, 62, reportedly began brutally branding his former best friend "the witch", after they fell out last year amid his departure from This Morning. A source told The Sun: "He dislikes Holly so much now he calls her 'the witch' when talking about her and sends the emoji to his mates if she comes up. He messaged Holly and told her: 'You brought me down.' He was furious and still is."
They added: “Holly isn't batting an eyelid at this, it's like she couldn't care less. Phil is coming across as incredibly bitter. Holly knows who her friends are and they're the people she pays attention to.”
Sign up to OK!'s daily newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
READ MORE:Phillip Schofield's cruel name for Holly Willoughby revealed - as ‘three s**ts’ exposed
READ MORE:Bake Off host shocks fans as star says she's never seen the show and 'didn't enjoy' presenting it
The former TV favourite expressed his frustration to Holly via WhatsApp just before the news of his departure from This Morning hit the headlines. A close source to Phillip revealed to the Mirror: "As well as saying she had brought him down, he said he couldn't believe his TV sister would do this to him." Phillip felt let down by Holly's lack of public support following rumours of a rift after his brother's court case in May 2023. He had hoped for a public display of solidarity, like a joint statement or a photo together, to quash the media speculation about their relationship. However, Holly did not respond to his request, reports the Mirror. OK! has contacted Phillip and Holly's reps for comment.
According to the source, Phillip believed that Holly's silence sealed his fate on the show as it undermined the viewers' belief in their on-screen friendship. The source explained: "He feels it was a simple gesture that might have saved his job and her refusal to do so effectively finished him off. Believing in the TV chemistry was the bedrock of the This Morning format."
They added: "Phillip considered her a friend, his TV sister as he called her, and always backed her, even recommending her to do the jungle. Her lack of public support was a low blow in his eyes." Phillip and his team were frustrated by her team's silence on "false narratives running riot" - stories such as that Holly was left out of the loop regarding Phil's brother's legal troubles. But a close source insisted Holly was clued in by Phillip himself just a month following his brother's 2021 arrest. He confided in her about assisting the police, and she was "really supportive" of what he was going through during those tough times.
Phillip's brother, now 54, faced justice for 11 sexual offences with a child from October 2016 to October 2019, including two counts of sexual activity with a child. Amidst all this, Holly's representatives remained tight-lipped on suggestions that she refused to present the show with him. Phillip revealed in May 2023 that he had "agreed to step down " from the show after more than two decades, sharing his desire to "protect the show that I love".
Phillip then faced inquiries about his relationship with a runner, and consistently denying any involvement. Shortly after his exit from the show, he confessed to having lied about the affair which precipitated his departure from ITV, effectively shattering his career. At the time Phillip said: "I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning....that relationship was unwise but not illegal. It is now over."
Just last week, Phillip made an appearance on Channel 5's show Castaway to "set the record straight on a few things," according to the friend. Phillip shared on air how the building "became hostile to me" and seemed to subtly criticise his colleagues from This Morning.
He said: "And the people who did it to me, know, they know how important that building was to me. They know that when you throw someone under a bus, you've got to have a really bloody good reason to do it. Brand, ambition is not good enough. It's not a good enough reason to throw someone under a bus."
