Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby sat side by side on the This Morning sofa for 13 years to bring viewers the biggest news and entertainment stories, real-life dilemmas, and celebrity interviews. But the once-solid TV presenting duo are no longer the faces of the ITV programme after the veteran broadcaster announced his departure from This Morning after 20 years.
Last month, the 61-year-old released a statement explaining he had lied about an affair with a younger, male colleague on the show.
In various interviews since leaving ITV, Phillip has expressed his sadness at referring to TV "in the past tense", but he's also spoken his devastation at "losing his best friend" by lying to Holly about the affair. Holly released a statement at the time saying she was "hurt" by Phillip's lies, before addressing viewers directly on This Morning, admitting she felt "let down."
Prior to the scandal, however, it's clear the pair had an extremely close bond and, as well as working together, they would often attend social events together and take family vacations to the Algarve. Take a look back at some their most heartwarming photos of their previous holidays below.
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© InstagramIn 2016, Phillip and Schofield took a trip to sunny Portugal along with their families. Phillip would holiday with his wife, from whom he is now separated, Stephanie Lowe, and their two daughters, Molly and Ruby, while Holly would be joined by her husband Dan Baldwin, and their three children, Harry, Belle and Chester.
© InstagramA number of photos from their trip that year ended up going viral. The TV duo could be seen frolicking in the sea, Holly with a T-shirt that read: "I [heart] PS", while Phillip's read: "I [heart] HW." This was, of course, a reference to Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston, who were seen in similar T-shirts back when they were dating. Phillip shared the photos on Instagram at the time, writing as a caption: "#Willowfield."
© InstagramAway from their quality time abroad, the former presenting partners would often be seen together at awards shows including the National Television Awards and the TV BAFTAs. One memorable moment, seen in the photo below, featured the pair hosting This Morning the morning after a particularly boozy NTAs and were hilariously laying down in the sofa clad in their finery from the night before.
© InstagramFollowing Phillip's exit from ITV, the broadcaster has said he thinks there is "no future" for his television career and revealed he is not in contact with Holly anymore. Phillip told BBC's Amol Rajan that the pair were no longer on speaking terms and that he had messaged his friend saying he was "so sorry" for lying to her, but that she did not reply to his message.
© Ken McKay/ITV/ShutterstockHolly, meanwhile, told viewers on This Morning she felt "let down" by his actions. "Firstly, are you okay? I hope so...," she began.
"I imagine you might have been feeling like I have, worried, shaken, troubled, let down and full of questions. You, me and everyone here put our trust in someone who was not telling the truth, who acted in a way that they themselves felt that they had to resign from ITV and step down from a career that they loved.
© REX"That is a lot to process. It's equally hard to see the toll it's taken on their own mental health. I think what unites us all now is a desire to heal for the health and well-being of everyone. I hope that as we start this new chapter and get back to a place of warmth and magic that the show holds for all of us, we can find strength in each other. From my heart, thank you for all of your kind messages."
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