This Morning presenters Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond have addressed the long-rumbling speculation that there is a rift between them.
The pair have been the Friday morning hosts since 2021 and stepped in as a temporary hosting duo when Phillip Schofield was ousted, and Holly Willoughby stepped down in 2023.
The TV presenters have now admitted that the ITV show’s rocky patch some years ago was a ‘hard’ period.
This was exacerbated by the fact that the daytime show includes a daily deep dive into the headlines, which at the time routinely included the show itself.
‘We were doing a show that, through no fault of our own, was on the cover of newspapers for 50 days on the trot,’ said O’Leary.
Speaking to the Radio Times, he went on to say that in terms of the day-to-day headlines that emerge, honing in on specific moments during the live broadcast, he doesn’t look at them.
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‘We’ll finish an item, I’ll look one way and Alison will look the other, and the papers will be like, “Bust-up on This Morning!” It’s all bulls**t,’ said the 53-year-old.
Meanwhile, Hammon added to the publication: ‘You’ve got to be free to say what you want, and give your opinions. If you start editing yourself, you’ll lose the live element that people love.’
However, the pair did admit that they have hosted the show when they have been ‘unhappy’ with one another, but only a handful of times.
Hammond has said she would be able to fake their chemistry on the show, even if they were not speaking, but O’Leary disagreed that they would be able to.
From hitting the headlines over queue-gate to his bombshell confession: A timeline of events that led to Phillip Schofield’s ITV departure
The duo found themselves in hot water when they were accused of skipping the queue to visit the late Queen Elizabeth III lying in state.
ITV issued a statement in their defence and the presenters insisted they didn’t break any rules or take anyone’s place, but the backlash and criticism continued.
Timothy Schofield was found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage boy over a period of three years, having been charged with 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019.
Following the verdict, Schofield issued a statement saying he ‘no longer’ has a brother.
Reports emerged that Willoughby and Schofield were ‘barely speaking’ behind the scenes and that their ‘relationship had cooled’.
One day later, Schofield released a statement insisting the duo are still ‘best friends’ but admitted ‘the last few weeks haven’t been easy for either of us’.
Ignoring the rumours, Willoughby and Schofield appeared on This Morning beaming and seemingly putting on a united front.
The duo continued downplaying the rumours during their four episodes of This Morning that week, signing off the week saying, ‘See you on Monday, bye!’
Schofield confirmed his departure from This Morning, saying: ‘I have always been proud to cover fascinating stories on This Morning. But recently, This Morning itself has become the story.
‘Throughout my career in TV – including the very difficult last few 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.
‘So I have agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect, in the hope that the show can move forward to a bright future.’
Addressing Schofield’s departure, Willoughby said: ‘It’s been over 13 great years presenting This Morning with Schofield and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for all of his knowledge, his experience and his humour.
‘The sofa won’t feel the same without him.’
ITV confirmed she would go on to host This Morning with other members of the team, but took an early half-term break, and would not be returning to the sofa until June 5.
In a bombshell confession, and after years of speculation, Schofield admitted to having a relationship with a much younger man who worked as a runner on This Morning.
He insisted it was ‘unwise but not illegal’.
He said the relationship occurred while he was still married to his wife of 30 years, Stephanie Lowe, the mother of his two daughters – Ruby and Molly – and before he came out as gay.
‘I am resigning from ITV with immediate effect expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me,’ Schofield said, after admitting he lied to the broadcaster and his colleagues.
After an admission that he lied to colleagues and to ITV, the broadcaster confirmed that they accepted his resignation.
The broadcaster also admitted to feeling ‘badly let down’ and ‘deeply disappointed’ after Schofield confessed to lying to bosses about his relationship.
Willoughby accused Schofield of lying to her about the affair, saying his admission is ‘very hurtful’.
ITV released a new statement confirming that an investigation into Schofield and an employee was conducted in 2020.
They said no evidence of a relationship was found ‘beyond hearsay and rumour’.
The Sun published an interview with Schofield in which he said he was sorry to Willoughby but owed his ‘greatest apology’ to his former lover. He reiterated that he did not ‘groom’ the man, and that although his wife was ‘very, very angry’ about the affair, his daughters had been ‘guarding’ him during the fallout.
Speaking to the BBC’s Amol Rajan, Schofield also said he had ‘lost everything’ and the affair had a ‘catastrophic effect’ on his mind. Speaking about the criticism he faced, he said he could see ‘nothing ahead’ except ‘blackness and sadness’ and spoke about his television career ‘in the past tense’.
Willoughby made an emotional return to This Morning, saying she felt ‘shaken, troubled, let down and worried’ following the revelations about Schofield.
She began with: ‘Firstly, are you ok?’ adding: ‘It feels very strange indeed sitting here without Phil.’
The company’s policy on work relationships was updated. Staff were reportedly required to disclose any kind of relationship, including a friendship, sexual or romantic connection, to ‘the company at the earliest opportunity’.
ITV’s review into Schofield’s behaviour on This Morning was published.
It said it made ‘considerable efforts’ to find out the truth about the alleged affair but was ‘unable to uncover the relevant evidence’ until the presenter’s own admission in late May 2023.
The former presenter ‘reluctantly declined’ to take part because of ‘the risk to his health’.
Schofield announced Cast Away, saying: ‘I can say whatever I want about whatever I want. It’s my chance to tell my side of my story.’
He explained: ‘When she is unhappy with me – and it’s probably only happened maybe two or three times…’ to which Hammond joked it was ‘more like 700 times.’
O’Leary continued: ‘I don’t like the idea of making Ali unhappy. One, because she’s such a good friend and two, because she’s basically a Jamaican mother, and you don’t want to get on the wrong side of her.
‘But we have a great relationship. I think I’ve taught Alison to take life a bit more seriously, and she’s taught me to take it a bit less seriously.’
This Morning airs weekdays on ITV at 10am.