Holly Willoughby sends clear message amid Phillip Schofield TV return as she breaks social media cover
Holly Willoughby seems to have snubbed former This Morning co-star Phillip Schofield as he made his highly-anticipated TV comeback on Monday night.
Schofield, 62, hasn’t been seen on TV since admitting in May 2023 to hiding an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger ITV colleague from bosses but returned to screens in Channel 5’s Cast Away this week.
While Schofield is believed to have aimed at least one jibe at his former co-star, Willoughby, 43, seems to be ignoring the comments and made it clear she would continue to distance herself from her former friend.
The presenter instead headed on a night out in the capital on Monday evening to see Abigail’s Party at the Theatre Royal in Stratford.
Posting on social media, Willoughby shared some snaps of the outside of the venue as well as a selfie with former EastEnders star Tamzin Outhwaite, 53.
She captioned the Instagram Story: “You are simply incredible. If you get the chance please go and see this.”
Willoughby sported a black roll-neck jumper and smiled broadly for the camera, while Outhwaite opted for a black jacket.
The presenter’s post seems to imply she didn’t feel compelled to witness her former friend’s comeback and was happy to be seen enjoying herself while ignoring the updates.
It comes as Schofield shocked the public last week by announcing he’d be taking part in the three-part Channel 5 series.
In the trailer for the Channel 5 show, Schofield commented: “I’ve been cast away on a desert island. It’s my chance to tell my side of my story.”
In another moment, he reflected: “I know what I did was unwise, but is it enough to absolutely destroy someone?”
Unlike Willoughby, other ITV stars have taken a less subtle approach and have spoken out to share their thoughts about Schofield’s TV return.
Loose Women star Nadiya Sawalha, 59, refused to hold back as she shared her criticisms on Thursday.
She commented: “When I was first sent it, there was no message with it, so I thought it was a joke.”
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Speaking on the Coffee Moaning podcast, she continued: “I just couldn’t believe it. It took me so long to get to grips with it. Then I re-watched it.
“First of all, I cringed. If I’m honest, I absolutely cringed when I saw that video. I thought, ‘That is so embarrassing.’ That was my first feeling.”
She added: “He’s also very clever so I think he understands an audience and I think he knows how to speak to an audience. So I think, yes, he’ll be very, very careful.”
However, Schofield has received support from iconic British actress Joanna Lumley, who appeared in the show’s first episode to offer survival tips to the 62-year-old.
