This Morning: Why Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were absent from ITV show - after fan boos at NTAs

ITV’s This Morning was presented by Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary on Monday - after the daytime television programme won big at the NTAs.
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Viewers of This Morning would have noticed two major absentees on Monday (October 17) - hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.

The ITV show is presented by the renowned television duo Monday to Thursday, with Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary taking up the post on Fridays. However, the latter pair took up the mantle on Monday morning’s episode.

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Both Holly and Phil have been marred in scrutiny and controversy recently. The pair were criticised by the public for ‘queue-gate’ when they were accused of jumping the queue to go and see the late Queen Elizbaeth II lying in state.

Their absence also comes just days after This Morning won big at this year’s National Television Awards. The ITV show won the Best Daytime Show award, beating the likes of Loose Women, The Chase and The Repair Shop. In their acceptance speech, Phillip said: “This award means so much to us every year, especially this year.”

A petition had even been created to axe the pair from This Morning, garnering more than 77,000 signatures.

But what is the real reason behind the absence of both Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield - and when will they return to This Morning? Here is everything you need to know.

Why were Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofied missing from This Morning?

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The exact reason as to why both Holly and Phil were not present on Monday’s This Morning episode has not been confirmed by ITV. However, it does come four days after the daytime duo were loudly booed by fans as they picked up their award.

Fans and viewers alike have posted on social media channels, reacting to the news of Holly and Phil’s absence on Monday. A fan wrote: “Well well well, they were queue-jumpers, now they’re show-dodgers. Is there no end to their talents?”.

Another one said: “Holly and Phil are on holiday again?!”. While someone posted “So no Holly and Phil? Still upset over the booing etc. Face your critics.”

Some reports suggest that due to the approaching October half-term, which starts next week throughout England, that the pair are just enjoying some extended time off with their friends and families.

When will Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield return to This Morning?

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Former X-Factor presenter Dermot O’Leary and fan-favourite Alison Hammond, who are standing in for Holly and Phil, confirmed their absence during the Monday (October 17) show of This Morning. The much-loved duo confirmed that they will be hosting the show for the next couple of days.

An exact date of when Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield would be returning to the daily daytime ITV programme is yet to be confirmed.

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