As Phillip Schofield makes his comeback to TV on Cast Away, Eamonn Holmes has launched a scathing attack on his former work colleague but their row goes back years.
Their working relationship goes back to when Holmes joined Schofield on This Morning in 2006. Fast forward to now, both of them no longer work on the ITV daytime TV show but the bitterness appears to have lingered on between them.
There has long been tension between Holmes and Schofield so where did it first all go wrong?
Read more: Phillip Schofield leaves This Morning: The timeline of events
The row that started the feud
Back in 2019 it was reported that Holmes’ wife Ruth Langsford had made a formal complaint to ITV about Schofield. Langsford, 63, was said to have been angered when Schofield cut her off during a live link-up form This Morning to Loose Women.
Langsford was telling viewers what was coming up on the show, when Schofield interrupted: “Guys, we’re going to have to jump in there and stop you I’m afraid because we’re a bit tight for time at this end. Thank you, Ruth.”
She retorted: “Well I only had about two more words to say.” Then she looked away from the camera. Langsford was said to have made a formal complaint to ITV’s head of daytime TV Emma Gormley.
In 2022, Holmes later addressed the moment that sparked his long-running feud with Schofield. He told the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine in February 2022: “Phillip is renowned for snubbing people. He’s very passive-aggressive. It’s up to Ruth to say how she felt, but I was feeling hurt for her. No one would have snubbed me like that… I don’t go for presenters who think they have a special privilege or aura or influence.”
Another notable moment saw Schofield pass the This Morning trophy to Langsford at the 2020 NTAs. Piers Morgan hinted there was tension between Langsford and Schofield at the NTAs in January 2020. He jibed: “The best bit of that was when Phil got Ruth to say a few words on the stage, awks. Hashtag awks.”
Putting the feud aside
They did put their feud aside for one big day though. When Schofield came out as gay in February 2020, Holmes was one of the first people to offer him public support on the show which he and Langsford were hosting that day.
Holmes told him: “Phillip, nobody should be embarrassed about their sexuality. It is fantastic that you have spoken out and there will be so many people who will be strengthened by what you said. We’re all here by your side, we’ll be the first to stand beside you.”
But he then went on to joke that he thought Schofield had been about to resign from This Morning and he could have his job. He said: “First of all I thought you were going to come in and announce you had resigned and I could have your job, but that wasn’t to be.”
Holmes was criticised at the time for his words but he hit back at those critics with a tweet. He wrote at the time: “This is a man who was in pain, who today confided in Ruth and I and who knows we stand in support of him, his family and his sexuality. Also unlike some, he appreciated a laugh to break the tension @Schofe hoping you find happiness.”
Schofield gave Holmes a special mention for making him laugh on a very emotional day. He said: “Can I just say that Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford were utterly magnificent with me today, privately downstairs just the three of us and upstairs in front of the world. I couldn’t have hoped for a better, calming and loving set of hugs and support, I adore them both. And for the record, Eamonn Holmes made me laugh, he lightened a very emotional moment and I’m very happy that he did.”
Pushed off the sofa
Tensions rumbled on for several years, with Holmes and Langsford hosting This Morning on Fridays and the school holidays, when Schofield and Willoughby had time off. There appeared to be a competitive atmosphere between the two teams, with Holmes and Langsford keen to show that they were just as important as the ‘A-Team’ presenters.
Then in December 2021 it was revealed that Holmes was leaving the show, because Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary were taking over the Friday slot. Langsford stayed on as part of the guest host roster, but Holmes was not happy to get the boot.
Holmes guest hosted the ITV daytime show on and off since 2006, only to be axed after 15 years in 2020. He said later: “They’re sly. They didn’t want to announce that I’d been dropped because it would adversely affect audience figures, so they made it look as if I’d walked away from them rather than the other way round.”
Queuegate spotlight
The public support for Willoughby and Schofield was dampened in September 2022 over accusations they “jumped the queue” at Queen Elizabeth II’s lying in state at London’s Westminster Hall. Holmes delighted in the scandal and accused the pair of “lying”.
He said: “They say they didn’t get a fast-track – lie. They say they didn’t pay their respects to the body – lie. What else were they there for? I mean let’s just tell the truth about the whole thing, if they messed up, instead of being arrogant and saying, ‘oh we were there working as journalists’.”
Fanning flames
When news broke that Schofield had quit This Morning after 21 years and Willoughby released a statement saying, “The sofa won’t be the same without him.” Holmes was quick to point out that all was not well between TV’s golden couple.
He called Willoughby false and accused her of stabbing Schofield in the back. In his interview on GB News, Holmes also claimed Willoughby’s friendship with Hammond wasn’t real, and that there was “very little contact” between Hammond and other presenters before.
Schofield has since confessed to having a secret affair for many years with a younger production assistant and quit ITV altogether.
He said in a statement: “Now I no longer work on @thismorning I am free to say this. I hope you have noticed that it’s the same handful of people with a grudge against me or the show who seem to have the loudest voice. This Morning is the best show to work on, with the best people. In all the years I worked there there was no toxicity.” But Holmes has pointed the finger back at Schofield.
Read more: Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield: Their on-screen history together
Holmes claimed many of his former This Morning colleagues were “frightened” of Schofield. The GM:TV presenter spoke out in an interview on GB News to accuse Schofield of “controlling , coercive behaviour” and claimed ITV had “covered-up” his affair with a young production assistant on the daytime show.
Holmes said: “It’s a total cover-up. Those in authority had to know what was going on and they thought they would dodge a bullet with this which they do and they do constantly.”
In response to Schofield’s claims on Instagram that there was “no toxicity” at This Morning, he said: “I think that Phillip is absolutely right about toxicity. But my friend, the toxicity is not with me, Dan Wootton, or anyone else, the toxicity is with you.”
Cast Away
This year Holmes split from his wife Langsford but his feud with Schofield clearly is ongoing.
As Schofield makes his comeback to TV, Holmes has had plenty to say about his former colleague. Schofield has kept a low-profile for a year but now has secretly filmed his return on a desert island off the coast of Madagascar where he is addressing the scandal that derailed his career.
While the new show hit headlines, Holmes has spoken out against his former This Morning colleague Schofield. Former This Morning presenter Schofield said he had been thrown under the bus by some of his ITV colleagues and Holmes said he was proud if he had been one of the people to throw Schofield under the bus. Holmes also claimed: “This man is addicted to fame, absolutely addicted to fame.”
