Fern Britton has sent her Twitter followers wild after enjoying the "loveliest catch up" with former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes.
The presenter-turned-author, who co-hosted the ITV daytime show with Phillip Schofield between 1999 and 2009, revealed she had received an "unexpected call" from Eamonn.
However, many fans believe the pair were stirring the pot in light of the ongoing rumours of a feud between Phillip and his current co-host Holly Willoughby. In recent weeks, it's been alleged that their friendship has come under strain following his brother Timothy's sex abuse trial last month.
"Unexpected calls from old mates are so lovely. Just had the loveliest catch up with @EamonnHolmes," Fern tweeted. "I think we have known each other since the 80’s when we were babies. Shooting the breeze [heart emojis]."
She also shared a throwback snap with Eamonn, and added: "Exhibit A [laughing emoji]." One fan was quick to respond, joking: "Holly and Phils grandparents! [laughing emoji]," to which Fern replied with a series of tears of joy emojis.
Other fans noticed the apparent dig, with one writing: "Wow I bet that was an interesting call! Would love to have been a fly on the wall x." Another person wrote: "Apparently there's a certain sofa available from July onwards." A third post read: "Bring back Fern to This Morning!" A fourth said: "No guesses needed as to what was the topic of conversation there!"
Some other Twitter followers called for the pair to return to the ITV show. "Would love to see you two hosting This Morning together," tweeted one, while another remarked: "Would love it if you two teamed up again could do a talk show or podcast."
Fern handed in her notice in 2009 after seven years on This Morning with Phillip. At the time, it was claimed she felt "undervalued by ITV" and that she was "living in Phil's shadow". Four years after her exit, Phillip revealed that they were no longer on speaking terms, telling Heat magazine: "We were involved in the show and mates at the time, but we don't really. I see Phil [Fern's then-husband, chef Phil Vickery] when he's in This Morning… But we're not in touch now."
Fern was clearly in agreement as she later told MailOnline: "I always say Phillip and I had an indefinable chemistry which seemed to work well on-screen. We 'got' each other.
"We enjoyed a laugh. And viewers seemed to warm to that. But, like Morecambe and Wise, we chose not to live in each other’s pockets. We were a great professional partnership but we never went on holiday together."
Discussing their fall out in his biography, Life is What You Make It, Phillip revealed that they had argued about the content of a This Morning episode, explaining: "I walked back into the makeup room and calmly said, 'Please don't do that to me again.' I think, for whatever reason, that was the point Fern decided she didn't want to do This Morning any more." He added that he tried to "make it right" after the fallout and that he "misses her deeply".
Their tense relationship was also revealed on social media after Fern tweeted about This Morning’s BAFTA for 30 years: "Congrats on the BAFTA. That was absolutely wonderful and brilliant. I would have loved to have been there but I didn't get an invitation." Phillip replied: "Odd really, because she was invited and declined #memoryloss we'd have loved her to be there. A vital and much-loved part of the show."
Meanwhile, Eamonn has also been open about his feelings towards Phillip in the past after his partner Ruth Langsford made a complaint about his behaviour to ITV. He told the Daily Mail's Weekend magazine: "Phillip is renowned for snubbing people. He's very passive-aggressive. It's up to Ruth to say how she felt, but I was feeling hurt for her.
"No one would have snubbed me like that. I have a good Belfast street fighter in me… I would be direct. I don't go for presenters who think they have a special privilege or aura or influence."
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