Holly Willoughby responds to Phillip Schofield's 'witch' jibe as feud fallout continues

Phillip Schofield is said to have branded his one-time friend Holly Willoughby 'a witch' after she didn't publicly back him amid rumours of a rift following his brother's high-profile court case

TV presenter Holly Willoughby is brushing off the fact her one-time friend Phillip Schofield branded her "a witch".

Former This Morning presenter Schofield, 62, is thought to have coined the savage nickname for his old co-host after Holly seemingly refused to help him keep his job on the ITV sofa last year.

The Mirror revealed on Monday night how Schofield accused Holly of not supporting him when he needed it most, saying: "You brought me down. " In a dramatic eruption, the star lashed out at Holly via WhatsApp just a day before his departure from This Morning hit the headlines.

READ MORE: Phillip Schofield clashed with ITV bosses and issued warning before Queuegate backlash

READ MORE: Phillip Schofield 'brands Holly Willoughby the witch' who 'brought him down'

A source close to the former friends told 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." Schofield directed his anger towards Holly for not publicly backing him after rumours surfaced of tension following his brother's court case in May 2023.

He had hoped for a public endorsement, perhaps a statement or picture together, which he believed could squash the claims of a rift between the iconic presenting duo. Yet, his request was met with silence from the mum-of-three. According to the source, Holly's lack of support sealed Schofield's fate on the famed couch, as audiences started doubting their once celebrated partnership on screen.

"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," the friend disclosed. Following the pal's revelations - and The Sun's claims Schofield dubbed his former co-star "a witch" - Holly's camp has hit back.

While Holly, 43, hasn't publicly addressed the remarks, insiders told the outlet she wouldn't dignify them with a response. A friend remarked to the publication: "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."

Allegations that Holly was oblivious to Schofield's brother's legal issues were rampant at the time. However, a confidant insists Holly was actually clued in by Schofield a month following his brother's 2021 arrest. Schofield had shared with Holly that the police were very understanding during their interactions, and he commended her for being "really supportive of what he was going through."

His brother Timothy Schofield, aged 54, was found guilty of 11 counts of sexual offences involving a minor from October 2016 to October 2019, including two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child. The friend stated to the Mirror: "There is a narrative - uncorrected by Holly's team - that she was blindsided by news of his brother's court case and was furious with him for keeping her in the dark about it. But that narrative couldn't be further from the truth."

Schofield discussed his brother's conviction and his dismissal from This Morning during his time on a remote island for the three-part Channel 5 series Cast Away. Pointing to his brother's "heinous crime", Schofield attributed his ITV morning gig loss to his sibling's crimes.

From the isolation of the island set, Schofield told viewers: "I had absolutely no qualms whatsoever in shopping him. We were praised by the police and we got justice done. But still, even though they knew all of the facts the papers painted me out to be some sort of complicit agent."

He recalled how it was then that he felt his world beginning to shatter around him. Despite insisting that ITV was aware he was innocent regarding his sibling's crimes, he recounted receiving news of his This Morning exit one day before Timothy's sentencing. Schofield recounted the shocking phone call with his agent where he received the news about being dropped from This Morning

"'Mate are you somewhere quiet' which is never a good sign," Schofield recalled his team telling him over the phone. "'Yeah. okay alright. I've got a bit of a shock. Right. I'm afraid you've been let go from This Morning. Yeah that's it, it's done. You're not going back on Monday'"

He disclosed how his brothers negative publicity led to his unfair dismissal: "That has nothing to do with me," he argued. "Why would I be sacked for something someone else did. I've just been fired because of him." He admitted conceding to claim he resigned for the sake of the show's image: "Because I was becoming more of a story than the programme. It was better for the show, better for the channel. And I agreed to say that I'd resigned because it would be neater for everybody."

In the voiceover, Schofield revealed his transparency regarding his brother's situation and offence. He expressed the frustration of losing his job due to association: "I was fired for the bad publicity, for someone else's crime. And the thing is about a week later, I blew my own wheels off with everything else because I thought the only way to even begin to put this right for everybody is to do a full mea culpa."

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