Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby in happier times (Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Phillip Schofield's feud with Holly Willoughby escalates as he brands her 'witch who brought him down'

Phillip Schofield has a brutal nickname for Holly Willoughby and has even sent her a message calling her a 'witch' after she failed to support him when his career crumbled.

by · Daily Record

Phillip Schofield has reportedly given Holly Willoughby the unflattering nickname "the witch" amid their fall-out.

Following Phillip's admission of an "unwise but not illegal" affair with a younger male colleague, relations between the ex-This Morning co-hosts have turned frosty. After Schofield stepped back from his TV commitments, Holly expressed to viewers that she felt "shaken, troubled, let down," and "worried" about both Phillip and the involved younger male.

She also suggested that Schofield has been less than honest with those around him, reports the Mirror.

Now, as per The Sun, a source disclosed that he refers to her dismissively as "the witch" within his close circle and allegedly uses the hatted hag emoji when mentioning her. According to the source, this stems from his belief that Holly played a role in his downfall.

"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," shared the source.

Phillip was reportedly taken aback by Holly's lack of public support following the controversy that led to the end of his career. Schofield felt let down by her for not backing him after events unfolded post his sibling's court case in May 2023.

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Despite hoping for a gesture like a supportive picture together, Schofields request was met with refusal.

A close associate of Phillip expressed to the Mirror that Holly's absence of support signalled the downfall of Phillip's tenure on This Morning: "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," his friend revealed.

Reportedly, Holly responded negatively to Schofield's plea, citing not wishing to "feed the narrative" and that ITV executives did not approve of a public statement. Following an unanswered WhatsApp from her, an upset Schofield contacted two high-ranking ITV officials to voice his complaints about Willoughby, his pal said.

Top news on Holly Willoughby

Schofield has suggested that he found himself at the sharp end of a calculated coup directed by Holly and a This Morning executive, seeing the collapse of his television legacy before him. A source indicated: "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."

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