Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary pay tribute to Phillip Schofield on This Morning
Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary have paid tribute to Phillip Schofield on This Morning today, the first show since his departure after more than 20 years.
Opening the programme on Monday, Hammond said they could not start without mentioning the veteran presenter, who announced his exit at the weekend.
O’Leary added: “Everyone on and off screen at ITV and This Morning want to say a huge thank you to Phil for what he’s done to make the show such a success over the last 21 years.”
Pic: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Hammond continued: “Quite simply, we all know he’s one of the best live television broadcasters this country has ever had, and we and all the team wish him all the best for the future.”
Schofield, who joined the show in 2002, said on Saturday that he was stepping back because the programme had “become the story” and “I want to do what I can to protect the show I love”.
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Saturday: Philip Schofield quits This Morning
It came following reports that his relationship with long-term co-presenter Holly Willoughby, who will remain on the show but is currently taking early half-term leave, had come under strain.
Hammond, 48, and O’Leary, 49, already host the show every Friday and are frontrunners to replace Schofield – with ITV yet to announce who will permanently get the role.
Other contenders include The Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes and her husband, JLS star Marvin Humes, along with familiar This Morning regulars such as Rylan Clark, Josie Gibson and Gino D’Acampo.
What did Schofield say?
Schofield, 61, announced his exit at the weekend after presenting what turned out to be his final show on Thursday.
“I have always been proud to cover fascinating stories on This Morning,” he said in his statement. “But recently, This Morning itself has become the story.
“Throughout my career in TV – including the very difficult last days – I have always done my best to be honourable and kind.
“I understand that ITV has decided the current situation can’t go on, and I want to do what I can to protect the show that I love.”
Read more:
Phillip Schofield leaves This Morning: His statement in full
Phil and Holly: A timeline of their relationship
Shortly afterwards, Willoughby shared her own statement, saying: “It’s been over 13 great years presenting This Morning with Phil and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for all of his knowledge, his experience and his humour.
“This sofa won’t feel the same without him.”
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Willoughby is set to be back in the studio from Monday 5 June.
Previously, the pair have been open about their close friendship over the years, including sharing pictures on social media of joint holidays with their families.
ITV to continue work with Schofield
Kevin Lygo, ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment, has said that ITV will continue its relationship with Schofield, despite his This Morning departure, “starting with The British Soap Awards in June and a brand new peak time series to come”.
Schofield has faced a difficult few months, including his brother’s sex abuse trial, criticism over his visit to the late Queen’s lying in state and his reported rift with Willoughby.
Former civilian police worker Timothy Schofield, 54, was jailed for 12 years on Friday after being convicted of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two of sexual activity with a child.
Donald Trump has said he is considering “taking away” the US citizenship of actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell, despite a Supreme Court ruling that expressly prohibits a government from doing so.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, the US president said: “Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.”
He also labelled O’Donnell, who has moved to Ireland, as a “threat to humanity” and said she should “remain in the wonderful country of Ireland, if they want her”.
O’Donnell responded on Instagram by posting a photograph of Mr Trump with Jeffrey Epstein.
“You are everything that is wrong with America and I’m everything you hate about what’s still right with it,” she wrote in the caption.
“I’m not yours to silence. I never was.”
Rosie O’Donnell moved to Ireland after Donald Trump secured a second term. Pic: AP
O’Donnell moved to Ireland with her 12-year-old son in January after Mr Trump had secured a second term.
She has said she’s in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship based on family lineage and that she would only return to the US “when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America”.
O’Donnell and the US president have criticised each other publicly for years, in an often-bitter back-and-forth that predates Mr Trump’s move into politics.
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Will Trump address parliament on UK state visit?
This is just the latest threat by the president to revoke the citizenship of someone he has disagreed with, most recently his former ally Elon Musk.
But the two situations are different as while Musk was born in South Africa, O’Donnell was born in the US and has a constitutional right to American citizenship.
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Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, said the Supreme Court ruled in a 1967 case that the fourteenth amendment of the constitution prevents the government from taking away citizenship.
“The president has no authority to take away the citizenship of a native-born US citizen,” he added.
“In short, we are nation founded on the principle that the people choose the government; the government cannot choose the people.”
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