Their 17-year friendship came to a crashing end earlier this year when Phillip Schofield sensationally quit This Morning and admitted to having an extra-marital affair with a younger male colleague.
And while Holly Willoughby has been doing her best to save face following the scandal, pals say she’s been left shaken amid fresh reports the dad-of-two is planning an explosive tell-all with his friend and former colleague Kate Garraway, 56, who is the host of ITV’s Life Stories.
A source says, “While Holly hasn’t spoken to Phil since May, they still have mutual friends and things naturally get fed back to her.
“Now he’s had a few months to let everything sink in and take time away from the spotlight, she’s learnt that he’s gearing up to potentially do a big TV interview and lay everything bare. Her biggest fear is the unknown, and since she’s had no contact with him, she has no idea how he’s feeling now and if he’s feeling betrayed or angered by her cutting him off.
She’s really been trying to move on, but if there’s an interview, it would bring everything up again. That’s the opposite of what she wants.”
Following his shock departure in May, the 61-year-old host – who came out as gay on the ITV show in February 2020 – insisted his co-star of 14 years, Holly, 42, had no knowledge of the fling.
“I’ve lost my best friend,” he said in an interview, following his exit, before admitting he’d been suicidal.
Amid the media storm surrounding Holly at the time – with many insisting she must have known about the affair and calling for her to be axed from the show – Phillip continued to defend the mum-of-three, insisting, “Holly did not know.” In a statement at the time, Holly said, “When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not.”
Phil also revealed how his apology texts to his “TV sister” went unanswered, confirming that the presenter – with whom he also co-hosted Dancing On Ice – cut ties with the star as she attempted to salvage her career.
ITV confirmed in June that it would be running an investigation into Phillip’s exit and his affair with the younger colleague, which is expected to take around three months to complete, and the findings will be made public. Holly’s defiant return to the sofa shortly after Phil’s departure was met with a tepid reaction from viewers, a dip in ratings and a barrage of criticism that left her crown as the queen of ITV tipping.
Earlier this month, she made her first solo appearance at the NTAs – formerly the highlight of her year – where she not only missed out on bagging any awards but was reportedly booed.
And the source adds that while she’s taking a business-as-usual approach as she continues filming This Morning – with other co-hosts including Alison Hammond – in the back of her mind she’s still worried about the drama being brought up all over again.
The source says, “Holly’s doing her best to just work hard and move on. Her time off was great for her and returning to work, though nerve-wracking, has been great for taking her mind off things.
“But Holly’s heard that Phil has been in touch with Kate about potentially appearing on Life Stories and doing a tell-all, which has understandably made her feel anxious.
“Phil has known Kate for a long time, so it makes sense for him to do his big chat with her, given that she’s someone he trusts and will ensure he gets to tell his full side of the story without trying to push him into a corner.
“When he initially spoke out, he was in a very bad way and his emotional state meant he wasn’t in the right mind to think straight, let alone talk straight and get everything off his chest.
“While Phil defended her in his initial interview, now he’s had time to reflect and process everything, Holly’s petrified about what he could say and the repercussions of that on her own career, which she’s been desperately trying to salvage.”
Last month, Phil was spotted having drinks with his pal and fellow host Vanessa Feltz, 61, who earlier this year quit her long-time job at BBC Radio 2 to front her own show on Talk TV.
And despite rumours that Phil could be joining his friend on the channel, pals say Holly’s learned that he’s also been discussing a potential interview with Vanessa, who’s worked on This Morning on and off as a guest host since 2006 and has openly defended claims of a toxic work culture on the show.
The source says, “Holly’s been told that Vanessa has been his rock over the last few months, which could sway him to go with her. Holly knows that Vanessa’s loyalty lies firmly with Phillip, so that’s understandably adding to her anxiety and panic.”
Pals say Holly’s panic was further sparked when Phillip’s daughters – Molly, 30, and Ruby, 27 – who he shares with his estranged wife, Stephanie Lowe, 59, and were very close to Holly and her family – unfollowed her on Instagram last week.
The source says, “That was a real shock to Holly, as while she understands they have a loyalty to their dad, unfollowing her on social media was a very public way to send her a message that they want nothing do to with her.
“Holly’s spent numerous holidays, family get-togethers and celebrations with Molly and Ruby, and the pain of losing Phil’s friendship was magnified by the loss of the girls from her life, too. This has been a tough pill for Holly to swallow.”
As Closer previously reported, Holly has now vowed not to let her work impact her family life with TV producer husband Dan Baldwin and their three children, Harry, 13, Belle, 11 and eight-year-old Chester.
The source adds, “Holly is trying to compartmentalise the latest drama, but naturally it’s having a knock-on effect on how she’s been feeling off camera. But Dan and the kids have been amazing. They’ve been trying to reassure and calm her, urging her to remember she’s done nothing wrong.
“Holly knows she’s lucky to have an incredible husband and kids by her side, and knows that as long as she has them, she can get through anything.”
