Holly Willoughby will 'never be seen back on This Morning couch' after Phillip Schofield saga

The Northern Irish broadcaster, 63, who co-hosted This Morning’s Friday show from 2006 to 2021 with wife Ruth Lansford, even suggested Willoughby might never return to ITV’s primetime programme.

Holmes told Wootton: "Not only should Phillip go but Holly should follow him out the door.

“I don’t think you’ll ever see Holly back on the couch again.

“It’s not about protecting the young fella involved, it’s about brand protection with her, her company, and advertising deals which looks like she’s distancing herself from to protect herself.”

Schofield quit This Morning in a statement released on May 20 amid a growing feud with Willoughby.

The 61-year-old, who spent two decades at This Morning, later admitted to having an “unwise but not illegal” relationship with a much younger production assistant on the programme.

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Willoughby later broke her silence on the most recent revelations, saying: “It’s taken time to process yesterday’s news.

“When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not.

“It’s been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie.”

Willoughby, 42, who has been kept on by This Morning’s top brass, is due to return to the sofa on June 5 following an early half-term holiday hiatus.

Holmes also revealed how a former This Morning colleague was forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Reading out a message sent by the former member of staff, Holmes said: “Hello Eamonn, I hope you and Ruth are well.

“Just wanted to tell you that the whole Philip Schofield scandal has actually given many ex-This Morning staff the courage to finally speak out.

“I left This Morning with a payout. And I had to sign a nondisclosure agreement to cover up the bullying and power abuse.

“All these years later, and she states how many years these are, I feel I have the courage to talk about this.

“And it appears I'm not alone. And so the story goes on and on.

“And they also say so many of us comment that working on a Friday show with you and Ruth was so different than during the week. And you were always there for help and advice.”

Commenting on the message, he added: “So we were there for help and advice.

“And that's what we did, because we were real and we weren't looking for anything in return.

“And we were there to educate and show people how to produce a program or write a script or, you know, be involved in what we were all supposed to do and do better.

“I wasn't looking for anything in return. Ruth wasn't looking for anything in return. But it appears others were.”