The speech was described as ‘insincere’ by some viewers
ITV’s This Morning immediately shed 200,000 viewers after Holly Willoughby gave her highly-anticipated comeback statement, it has been revealed.
The 42-year-old returned to the show on Monday for the first time since Schofield left the show amid a fallout with her and as the fallout over revelations he had an affair with a younger colleague continue.
Holly said the scandal that has dominated headlines for the last two weeks had left her “shaken, troubled, let down and worried.”
She began her statement by saying that it “feels very strange indeed to be sitting here without Phil.”
“You, me and 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 that they had to resign from ITV and step down from a career they loved – that is a lot to process.”
Willoughby concluded her statement by saying what “unites us all now is a desire to heal the health and wellbeing of everyone.
“I hope that as we start this new chapter, we get back to a place of warmth and magic that this show holds for all of us, and we can find strength in each other.”
Some viewers thought it was quite a performance.
While others praised her for composing herself well in a difficult situation.
Following Holly’s speech, new figures have now revealed audiences flocked to the show to watch the statement, but switched off as soon as it ended.
A whopping total of 1,633,410 tuned in to watch Holly address Phil’s sudden departure from This Morning.
However, almost 200,000 viewers switched off once the statement was done and once the show continued as normal.
Related links:
Holly Willoughby delivers emotional statement on This Morning return
‘Baffled’ Jeremy Clarkson defends Phillip Schofield from ‘witch hunt’
Caroline Flack’s mum slams ITV for treatment of Phillip Schofield
Phillip Schofield reveals he’s too scared to leave his house over fears he’ll be spat on
Phillip Schofield says his ‘hands are blistered’ from vaping so much
