Holly Willoughby ‘could QUIT This Morning over queue jumping crisis’ as she enters talks with This Morning bosses | The Sun
THIS Morning star Holly Willoughby could QUIT This Morning as she enters crisis talks with bosses over her queue-jumping drama, it's reported.
The presenter has come under fire after she and her co-host Phillip Schofield were seen "jumping the queue" to view the Queen lying in state on Friday.
Members of the public were left furious as the TV presenters appeared to skip the long queue, after some of them waited for up to 14 hours.
Today, Holly, 42, and Phil, 60, addressed the backlash as they insisted they would "never skip a queue" and used their media passes to quickly walk through Westminster Hall.
However, ongoing backlash is said to mean that Holly has spent the weekend in "locked in talks" with producers as there are claims they fear she might QUIT.
According to reports, the presenter was said to be "dumbstruck" by the level of backlash against her, which caused the pair to mastermind an address on This Morning about it.
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A source told the MailOnline: "Philip and Holly are dumbstruck at the level of anger they've received in the past few days.
"They've been left astonished at the way the whole thing has mushroomed. They felt ITV should have made it clearer, right away, that it was part of a broadcast.
"Holly, in particular, has been left totally distraught by this. She's been in floods of tears at some of the things she's been called and of the behaviour she's been accused of."
The insider went on to detail how Holly has been left "heartbroken" that "people think she would behave" in that way.
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"They are a close knit team but there is a concern at how it has impacted on Holly and has left many wondering if it's pushed her close to the exit," the source concluded.
It comes after Holly and Phil returned to This Morning today and addressed accusations they jumped the queue to see the Queen lying in state on Friday.
The presenting duo said they "understood" the backlash after they used media passes to access Westminster Hall after fellow celebrities queued for hours with members of the public.
Tuesday's This Morning opened with a montage of emotional TV moments sinceQueen Elizabeth II's death.
The footage included a clip from inside the hall, without showing Holly and Phil as they walked past the monarch's coffin.
Holly told viewers as the footage aired: "Like hundreds of accredited broadcasters and journalists we were given official permission to access the hall.
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"It was strictly for the purpose of reporting on the event for millions of people in the UK who haven’t been able to visit Westminster in person.
"The rules were that we would be quickly escorted around the edges to a platform at the back. In contrast those paying respects walked along a carpeted area beside the coffin and were given time to pause.
"None of the broadcasters and journalists took anyone's places in the queue and no one filed past the Queen.
"We of course respected those rules however we realised that it may have looked like something else and therefore we totally understand the reaction.
"Please know that we would never jump a queue."
A clip followed from outside Westminster Hall as Phil reflected on his visit and said: "That's got to be one of the most profound moments of my life."
However fans were left unimpressed by their explanation – branding it a "pathetic excuse".
Dozens shared their frustration on Twitter after Holly, 42, and Phil, 60, addressed the backlash following calls for them to be sacked from the ITV show.
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One viewer tweeted: "Pathetic excuse. The 3 of them @hollywills @Schofe #MartinFrizell seen a loophole to jump the queue. Since when do any of them go to an outside filming piece. Lost the last bit of trust they had with the viewers @itv #ThisMorning @thismorning"
Another raged: "They still Queue jumped. 'we would never jumped the queue' my a**e. They are not broadcasters, This morning is a talk show. Susanna Reid is a broadcaster for GMB and she waited hours like the rest of us. Holly and Phil have no shame, it’s a disgrace."
As a third typed: "Well, one for the 'Sorry if you thought it was wrong' scrapbook. S**t explanation, they aren't even journalists, it's a magazine programme, no need to be there at all, let alone jump in."
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