Phillip Schofield’s text to Holly Willoughby amid his career downfall has reportedly been revealed.

The presenter, 62, stepped down from the ITV show last May following an ‘unwise’ affair with a junior colleague.

Soon after Holly, 43, distanced herself from her former best friend and during a ‘highly strategised’ return to the This Morning sofa in June 2023, when she told viewers she had been left ‘shaken, let down and worried.’

The Mirror now claims that Phillip accused Holly of not coming to his aid as his career was left in tatters telling her over WhatsApp: ‘You brought me down.’

The publication claims he blasted Holly the day before news of his This Morning axe became public for not backing him.

Phillip Schofield’s text to Holly Willoughby amid his career downfall has reportedly been revealed (seen on Dancing On Ice in 2023)

The Mirror now claims that Phillip accused Holly of not coming to his aid as his career was left in tatters telling her over WhatsApp: ‘You brought me down’

A source told the newspaper: ‘As well as saying she had brought him down, he said he couldn’t believe his TV sister would do this to him.’ 

He also reportedly asked her for a public show of support such as a statement or picture of them together to diffuse the media storm but his pleas were ignored, the new report claims.

‘He feels it was a simple gesture that might have saved his job and her refusal to do so effectively finished him off. Believing in the TV chemistry was the bedrock of the This Morning format,’ a source added.

‘Phillip considered her a friend, his TV sister as he called her, and always backed her, even recommending her to do the jungle. Her lack of public support was a low blow in his eyes.’

She then reportedly told Schofield that she didn’t want to ‘feed the narrative’ and that ITV bosses didn’t want her to publicly respond.

Representatives for Phillip and Holly have been contacted by MailOnline for comment.   

It has also been claimed today that Holly allegedly ‘knew’ about Schofield’s paedophile brother in the build-up to his court case.

It is understood Holly ‘supported’ her former colleague prior to the trial, despite reports she was blindsided by his brother Timothy’s crimes.

Phillip’s 54-year-old brother was convicted in April 2023 of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two of sexual activity with a child.

The Mirror claims Phillip notified Holly a month after Timothy’s arrest in 2021 and Holly was even praised for being ‘really supportive of what he was going through’.

A friend told the publication: ‘There is a narrative – uncorrected by Holly’s team – that she was blindsided by news of his brother’s court case and was furious with him for keeping her in the dark about it.

It has also been claimed today that Holly allegedly ‘knew’ about Schofield’s paedophile brother Timothy (pictured) in the build-up to his court case. Timothy was convicted in April 2023 of 11 sexual offences

‘But that narrative couldn’t be further from the truth.’

But when it became ‘bad for her brand’, it is understood Holly quickly turned her back on the former This Morning star when Timothy went on trial in May.

A source told MailOnline Holly is annoyed by these claims and insisted there isn’t a shred of truth in it.

The Sun reported that Holly ‘started to put up a wall between them because she knew it could look bad for her name’.

A friend told the publication: ‘Phil feels that he was sacked because of the bad press around his brother. Everyone knew about Tim – including Holly.

‘They had a backstage make-up room called ‘The Sanctuary’ at This Morning, where Phil first assembled trusted pals including Holly and told them, tearfully, about his brother. Holly held his hand and was super kind.

‘But Phil feels she distanced herself from it publicly because it was bad for her brand. But she supported Phil and was disgusted by what his brother had done.’

Holly’s representatives declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.

The presenter, 62, stepped down from the ITV show last May following an ‘unwise’ affair with a junior colleague

Soon after Holly, 43, distanced herself from her former best friend and during a ‘highly strategised’ return to the This Morning sofa in June 2023, when she told viewers she had been left ‘shaken, let down and worried’

Holly is enjoying her new solo career after leaving This Morning and becoming ‘free’ from Phillip.

The TV star is said to be smiling again and has also reconnected with Fearne Cotton after the pair drifted apart when they stopping filming Celebrity Juice.

Holly and Fearne, who met when they were teens and appeared as team captains on Celebrity Juice together, reportedly drifted apart a couple of years ago after taking different paths and ‘failed to check in on each other’.

It comes after a hellish year that saw Holly quit The Morning and ‘live in fear’ after discovering obese security guard Gavin Plumb plotted to kidnap, rape and murder her.

But now, the presenter is finally ready to step back into the spotlight by hosting a new Netflix reality competition show Bear Hunt, as well as returning to Dancing On Ice.

‘Leaving This Morning has opened up new opportunities for Holly,’ a source told The Sun over the weekend.

‘Being free from being a double act with Phil [Phillip Schofield] has been good for her as well.’

Indeed, her fallout with Phil seems far from over with the pair still no longer on speaking terms.

He returned to TV screens this week and appeared to take swipes at some of his former colleagues but those who know Holly well say she ‘doesn’t care’.

The source added: ‘After what she has been through, remarks like that are just nonsense.’

MailOnline has contacted Holly’s representatives for comment.

Holly ignored Phillip’s recent ‘swipe’ as she posed in stunning leggy new snaps on Saturday.

Her ex co-star on This Morning Phillip and his family appeared to mock Holly’s famous ‘are you ok?’ clip as he made his return to TV this week.

The presenter, 62, appeared on Channel 5’s Cast Away in which he thanks Ant McPartlin, 48, and Dec Donnelly, 49, as well as Joanna Lumley, 78, – but fails to mention Holly.

During the show he discussed his bitter parting of ways with ITV and This Morning, which he hosted for 21 years, while fending for himself on a remote island paradise, located off the coast of Madagascar.

Phillip was ousted from This Morning in May last year, after he admitted to lying about his relationship with a much younger male colleague.

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It comes amid reports Holly is enjoying her new solo career after leaving This Morning and becoming ‘free’ from Phillip

Holly recently ignored Phillip Schofield’s recent ‘swipe’ as she posed in stunning leggy new snaps

Her ex co-star on This Morning Phillip and his family appeared to mock Holly’s famous ‘are you ok?’ clip as he made his return to TV this week

Holly distanced herself from her former best friend and during a ‘highly strategised’ return to the This Morning sofa in June 2023, she told viewers she had been left ‘shaken, let down and worried.’

But after the swipe Holly took to Instagram to celebrate the third birthday of her wellness company Wylde Moon as she shrugged off the recent drama.

She looked stunning in a light pink leggy dress with cute bow detailing on it as she posed with some silver balloons.

Holly penned in the caption: ‘Join our 3rd birthday celebrations with 20% off perfume, wax melts, diffusers and travel minis…

‘Just wanted to say a huge thank you for having been such a special part of our journey. Here’s to more years of connection and beautiful moments ahead.’

It comes after Phillip and his family appeared to mock Holly’s famous ‘are you ok?’ clip.

When she returned, she began by saying: ‘Hello, Firstly, are you okay? I hope so. It feels very strange sat here without Phil.’

Appearing to reference the now-famous speech on Cast Away, Phillip is seen having a BBQ with his family before heading off to the island.

In a clip obtained by The Sun, he gives out food to his wife Stephanie and their daughters Molly, 31, and Ruby, 28, and laughs: ‘If you’re ok, then we’re ok, and I’m ok… are you ok?’

No mention of Holly is made in the clip.

Holly’s said in the original statement that it: ‘Feels very strange indeed sitting here without Phil and I imagine that you might have been feeling a lot like I have.

‘Shaken, troubled, let down, worried for the wellbeing of people on all sides of what’s been going on and full of questions’.

Holly distanced herself from Phillip after the scandal and it is understood that the pair no longer speak

Phillip was ousted from This Morning in May last year, after he admitted to lying about his relationship with a much younger male colleague (pictured in April 2023)

‘All of us at This Morning gave our love and support to someone who was not telling the truth, who acted in a way that they themselves felt they had to resign from ITV and step down from a career that they loved. That is a lot to process’.

‘It’s equally hard to see the toll it’s taken on their own mental health. I think what unites us all now is a desire to heal for the health and wellbeing of everyone.’

She added: ‘I hope that as we start this new chapter and get back to a place of warmth and magic that the show holds for all of us, we can find strength in each other.

‘And from the heart, can I just say thank you for all your kind messages and thank you for being here this morning. Myself, Josie, Dermot, Alison, Craig and every single person that works on this show will continue to work hard every day.’

Phillip does not mention his former co-star Holly in his new TV show Cast Away – but does make multiple swipes at his former colleagues.

Despite mentioning ITV co-stars Ant and Dec as well as Joanna Lumley, 78, Holly isn’t mentioned at all throughout the 45-minute episode.

In one outburst which will leave viewers wondering whether it is aimed at her, Schofield says: ‘When you throw someone under a bus, you’ve got to have a really bloody good reason to do it.

‘I got into telly because I love the nuts and bolts of telly, I never wanted to be famous. I’m not fussed about that.

‘I miss parts of it. I miss most of it, I’m honest. But there are bits that I really, really, really don’t miss.

‘You learn a lot about people. I don’t miss that.’

The disgraced presenter revealed this week he was taking part in his own survival show just 16 months on from leaving This Morning after admitting to having an ‘unwise but not illegal’ fling with a junior male colleague.

He is said to have turned down a selection of big money TV offers before choosing to sign up for Cast Away – which he believes will allow him to share his story in an ‘unedited and honest’ way.

Holly left This Morning in October 23 after presenting the show alongside Phillip for 14 years.

Sources at the time said she quit because the show ‘wasn’t the same’ after her co-host left but was finally ‘tipped over the edge’ by an alleged ‘kidnap and murder plot’, insiders have claimed.

Appearing to reference the now-famous speech on Cast Away, Phillip is seen having a BBQ with his family and asking: ‘…are you ok?’

Meanwhile, during the episode Schofield referred to ITV duo Ant and Dec as his ‘best mates’.

In May it was suggested Declan Donnelly had reportedly been trying to convince the former presenter to make a TV comeback, after the pair had a four-hour dinner together.

Joanna Lumley also featured, sending him a ‘good luck’ message.

Ms Lumley, 78, appeared in a similar programme in 1994. ‘Listen, Phil these are the tips I’ve got,’ she said.

‘Keep your knives sharp, spend much of the day trying to find wood otherwise you won’t be able to eat anything.

‘When I was on the island I made a pair of shoes out of my bra, and I would love to think that you could do something a bit challenging, and bring it back so we could all look at it.

‘I shall be thinking of you all the time Phil, and actually I’m a little bit jealous, lots of love.’

Queuegate

Holly and Phillip came under fire in 2022 when they were accused of having ‘VIP access’ to skip the queue and file past the Queen lying in state

Holly and Phillip came under fire in 2022 when they were accused of having ‘VIP access’ to skip the queue and file past the Queen lying in state. Which the stars and ITV both denied.

Following the death of the monarch, Holly and Phillip attended the lying in state and claimed they were there to film for work purposes.

However because no footage from the day was aired, critics accused them of queue jumping in front of mourners who had waited hours for their moment to honour the late Queen Elizabeth II.

According to reports earlier this year, Holly was ‘devastated’ by the public reception and the broadcaster’s ‘decision to remain silent.’

In September, This Morning bosses denied show hosts Holly and Phillip had ‘VIP access’ and filed ‘past the Queen lying in state’ as they filmed a segment for the programme at Westminster Hall in London.

Despite the support from the broadcaster, there is no denying that public perception towards the pair had soured due to the events that unfolded.

Things were also strained between Phillip and Holly, with studio insiders claiming that the atmosphere was ‘awful’ and there relationship was ‘extremely awkward’.

The programme received more than 400 Ofcom complaints from viewers over the scandal. A petition on Change.org to get Phillip and co-host Holly axed from This Morning following the scandal reached almost 79,000 signatures.

Booed at the NTAS

Holly and Phil were booed as they accepted Best Daytime at the National Television Awards in the aftermath of the ‘queuegate’ scandal

Holly and Phil were booed as they accepted the Best Daytime Award at the National Television Awards 2022 in the aftermath of the ‘queuegate’ scandal.

Despite the criticism the broadcasters received, which some said was so severe it was impacting their mental health, This Morning still took home the Daytime gong.

While he did not address the controversy, Phillip said the award means ‘so much to us every year, especially this year’.

The widespread backlash sparked concerns for their mental wellbeing, particularly after it was revealed Schofield would not return to his lucrative We Buy Any Car deal.

Phillip Schofield feud

Phillip Schofield stepped down from This Morning in May after confessing he had a relationship with a much younger man who worked with him on the show

Phillip made a bombshell confession to the Mail that he had a relationship with a much younger man who worked with him on This Morning while still married to wife Stephanie Lowe.

Holly was at the centre of the fallout from Phillip‘s affair as critics questioned whether she knew of her co-star’s ‘deceit’ or if she too was hoodwinked by the presenter. She later confirmed she was in the dark over the affair.

Phillip further confessed that he lied to his employer ITV, to his colleagues, his friends and his agents at the management firm YMU.

Holly slammed her former ‘bestie’ following the revelations of his affair – and friends have said it was ‘traumatic’ for her to discover his dishonesty.

Holly said in a brief statement that she asked him directly if the news was true and that it had been ‘very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie’.

Sources close to the presenter said it had been a ‘traumatic’ revelation for the This Morning host and a ‘time of real sadness’ as Phillip ‘was her very close friend’.

Holly took an extended half term break while dealing with the revelations and returned to the This Morning sofa on June 5.

A tearful Holly returned to This Morning and immediately put the boot into Phillip. Beginning her speech with ‘are you ok?’, in a widely-mocked monologue.

Holly admitted she felt ‘shaken, troubled’ and ‘let down’ after her disgraced former co-host lied to her and ITV colleagues.

Phillip said he ‘didn’t tell anybody’ about his affair with his former This Morning colleague, confirming in an interview with the BBC that Holly ‘did not know’.

NTAs snub

Holly was snubbed from the TV presenter category for the second year in a row at the National Television Awards after the affair furore.

Holly and Phil had been longlisted for the best TV presenter prize, alongside fellow This Morning hosts Alison Hammond, Dermot O’Leary, Rylan Clark and Martin Lewis, but only Alison and Martin made the cut.

However, This Morning was nominated for best daytime show despite the affair scandal but later lost out to The Repair Shop.

Holly, who hosted alongside Phillip from 2009 onwards, continued to present the show with a series of co-stars, while MPs called on ITV bosses to address claims of toxicity and bullying behind the scenes.

Kidnap and murder plot

Holly exited in October This Morning after a former Pizza Hut worker was remanded in custody charged over an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her

Holly then exited This Morning after a former Pizza Hut worker was remanded in custody charged over an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her.

Gavin Plumb, 36, from Harlow, Essex, is accused of offences including soliciting to commit murder and incitement to commit kidnap in relation to the broadcaster, allegedly contacting a hitman in the U.S. and booking him flights.

He has since plead guilty and will stand trial in June.

Insiders told MailOnline that the alleged plot pushed Holly to quit, throwing the show into chaos.

This Morning had due to be relaunched in January with Holly and a new host, sources say. Good Morning Britain‘s Ben Shephard was reportedly the favourite to replace Phillip.

The TV presenter pulled out of hosting This Morning and her London home was reportedly being guarded by police after Plumb was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of conspiracy to kidnap.

Holly’s full statement said: ‘I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning.

‘To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so so much. This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we’ve done together.

‘Thank you to everyone at ITV for being supportive. To every guest who has sat on our sofa, thank you. Most of all, thank you to the wonderful viewers. You’ve been so loyal, so supportive and the very best company every day.

‘Richard and Judy said we only look after this show, it will always belong to the viewers’. It’s been an honour to just be part of it’s story and I know this story has many chapters left to go. Sadly, however, I now feel I have to make this decision for me and my family.

‘I will miss you all so much.’