ITV boss claims This Morning's Holly and Phil were 'misrepresented' over 'queue-jump' claims

28 September 2022

ITV's boss has claimed Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have been "misrepresented" over claims they "jumped the queue" while visiting Westminster Hall as the late Queen Elizabeth was lying in state.

ITV's boss has claimed Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have been 'misrepresented' over claims they 'jumped the queue' while visiting Westminster Hall as the late Queen Elizabeth was lying in state

Dame Carolyn McCall insists the 'This Morning' pair are safe in their jobs on the ITV brunchtime show and insisted they have done "nothing" wrong, and that it has been "really horrible for them".

When asked at the RTS London Convention what the co-hosts did wrong, she said: "Honestly, nothing. Honestly.

"They did have accreditation. Lots of people saying they didn't. They were sent by This Morning to do a piece for 20 September which ran.

"They were to interview people inside and outside. They didn't displace anyone in the queue. And they've been very misrepresented, actually.

"And that's why we made a statement. Unusually, we made a statement to say all of those things. But it does show you how things spread and how misinformation just spreads. And it is really horrible for them.

"I think they're highly relevant and still very topical, and I think the majority of their viewers love watching them.

"But there is a very shrill kind of voice against and it will hurt them.

"It's hard. You imagine yourself in the eye of the storm like this, where you're trying to say you've done nothing wrong and all the noise around you is saying that you have. It's difficult to handle."

Carolyn also revealed ITV had spoken to Domino's after the pizza restaurant chain made a joke at Holly and Phil's expense about the queue-jumping controversy.

Earlier this month, a tweet on the Domino's Twitter account read: "Apologies to anyone waiting on their pizza, we've just received an order from Holly and Phil #ThisMorning"

Carolyn explained: "We just said to them, 'What are you doing?' because we work with Domino's and they said, 'We think it is really funny, don't you?'

"They just thought that was funny. They didn't think of the impact that would have on how people would pick it up and start meme-ing it.

"I think that's what happens with these things which are ... they did not do anything wrong.

"They were with loads of other broadcasters, many of whom you know, and they were with lots of press journalists."

Several stars, including Graham Norton and Piers Morgan, have also shot to Holly and Phil's defence over the queue-jumping claims, following the death of the queen on September 8th aged 96.

What's more, a petition to "axe Holly and Phil from TV" has been signed more than 76,000 times.