This Morning's future revealed amid axe reports following Philip Schofield's affair admission
ITV have responded to reports that suggest hit morning show This Morning is facing the axe by confirming that it will be back on air on Monday morning.
"This Morning is not under review and the show will be back on Monday," a spokesperson for ITV confirmed over the weekend. The broadcaster has yet to reveal who will be fronting the show as host Holly Willoughby continues to be away on holiday and is not expected back until 2 June.
It's no doubt been a challenging weekend for This Morning after Phillip Schofield released a shocking statement on Friday evening admitting to an affair with a younger man that worked on the show.
"I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning. Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over," he said of the liaison.
He went on to explain that he had lied about the relationship to everyone, "including to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family."
The news came as a shock to his co-host Holly and former best friend, who 24 hours later, on Saturday evening, released a brief statement on her Instagram Stories in which she confessed to feeling "hurt" by the revelations.
"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 find out that was a lie. Holly," she wrote.
Holly has been absent from the show since Phillip stepped down from the show, and the duo have been replaced by Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary.
It's not known if the duo will return to screen next week, as it's been reported that they are both unhappy with the show after they were asked to pay Phillip an awkward 30-second tribute at the beginning of last week. The presenters are yet to react to this weekend's news and have remained silent on social media.
Someone who hasn't remained silent however, is former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes, who quit the show two years ago.
Taking to Twitter after Phillip's statement was made public on Friday, he told his followers: "Schofield has finally been caught out ... But he's not the only guilty party. 4 high members of ITV management knew what sort of man he was ...and NEVER once took action to prevent him controlling or taking advantage of his position over young people."
He later responded to a fan calling him a "hypocrite" alongside a clip of him and wife Ruth Langsford hugging Phillip after he came out as gay live on TV: "Ruth and I deceived and lied to. One day I will tell the story. We had no issue with him being Gay, only support. What transpired took us for fools. The man told us complete lies and we unfortunately believed him."
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