EXCLUSIVE: Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were 'tense' backstage before posing for an awkward picture on set of today's This Morning
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were 'tense' backstage before posing for an awkward picture on the set of today's This Morning.
The co-presenters, who are yet to address their ongoing feud on air, were all smiles as they hosted Tuesday's live show but off camera, they avoided being pictured next to each other, as MailOnline's exclusive photos show.
A source revealed the duo cleverly manoeuvred their latest guests, a James Bond fanatic and filmmaker, to stand either side of them in a photograph captured backstage, fuelling further speculation on set that relations between them are strained.
An insider said: 'While Holly and Phil were all smiles as they hosted This Morning on Tuesday, they awkwardly avoided being pictured next to each other as they posed alongside one of their guests.
'The tension between them was obvious to those on set today and once the cameras stopped rolling, they could barely keep up with their ongoing facade.'
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were 'tense' backstage before posing for an awkward picture on the set of today's This Morning
The co-presenters, who are yet to address their ongoing feud on air, were all smiles as they hosted Tuesday's live show but off camera, they avoided being pictured next to each other
A source exclusively told MailOnline that the atmosphere backstage on This Morning today was 'tense' as the co-stars interviewed their latest guests
The feuding pair stood apart from each other as they smiled in a photograph shared to documentary maker Matthew Bauer's Instagram profile, after his film The Other Fellow, about real men named James Bond, was promoted on the show.
During Tuesday's James Bond segment, Holly and Phil spoke to two men that share the same name as 007 and their difficulties growing up with the famous moniker.
A man named James Bond from Sweden posed between the co-hosts while film creator Matthew stood to the right of the Phil.
The awkward photograph comes after Dan Wootton revealed that ITV are facing a boycott with A-list stars threatening to stay away from the show amid the ongoing drama.
A TV source told the MailOnline columnist that 'no major name is going to involve themselves in this sh*** show, so you're going to see a succession of stars appearing on This Morning who are already connected with ITV.'
MailOnline revealed today that viewing figures for the much loved daytime show have plummeted amidst reports of Holly and Phil's strained partnership, with ratings falling by 170,000 viewers compared to the same show last week.
Viewers slammed the pair's 'fake' relationship and called for stars such as Alison Hammond or Josie Gibson to take over on a permanent basis.
Tensions have been mounting behind the scenes following claims that the co-hosts are 'barely speaking' offscreen and Holly is 'willing to present the show without him' in the wake of a recent fallout.
The awkward photograph comes after Dan Wootton revealed that ITV are facing a boycott with A-list stars threatening to stay away from the show amid the ongoing drama
Viewing figures for the show have plummeted amidst reports of Holly and Phil's strained partnership, with ratings falling by 170,000 viewers compared to the same show last week
Last week Phil admitted in a statement that the 'last few weeks haven't been easy for either of us' following the criminal conviction of his brother Tim, who was found guilty of 11 sexual offences against a child.
Phil's revelation is said to have left Holly 'blindsided' and she had no idea he was going to publicly comment on the speculation until it was online.
The pair, who have hosted This Morning together for the past 14 years and are also at the helm of ITV show Dancing On Ice, have reportedly struggled behind the scenes for months now but Phil 'refuses to leave the show without a fight.'
In the wake of recent controversies, the TV veteran has instructed lawyers and a former red top newspaper showbiz editor to help protect his reputation.
