PHIL TO HOLLY:YOU BROUGHT ME DOWN

Schofield confronted 'TV sis' over This Morning sacking, pal says

- TOM BRYANT

Angry Schofield accused Holly of 'bringing him down' | Pal claims lack of support sparked his career collapse

PHILLIP Schofield's future on This Morning was doomed from the minute Holly Willoughby refused to publicly support him as his career burned, it is claimed.

A friend of the former ITV star has alleged that the lack of backing from his co-host in the aftermath of his brother's child sex convictions meant viewers no longer believed in their on-screen chemistry.

Schofield, 62, had also convinced himself that Holly and a This Morning executive had conspired against him.

And he blasted her via Whatsapp the day before news of his This Morning axe became public.

The pal said: "As well as saying she had brought him down, he said he couldn't believe his TV sister would do this to him."

Schofield asked Holly, 43, for a public show of support such as a statement or picture of them together in the hope it would diffuse media claims of a fallout between the pair. But his plea was ignored.

The friend added: "He feels it was a simple gesture that might have saved his job and her refusal to do so effectively finished him off. Believing in the TV chemistry was the bedrock of the This Morning format."

Holly reportedly told Schofield that she did not want to "feed the narrative" and that ITV bosses did not want her to publicly respond.

After he sent her the Whatsapp, Holly is said to have replied that she was in the dark about what was going on, the pal said. But Schofield was so upset that he later messaged two ITV chiefs to complain about her, the friend claims.

The presenter said he felt as if Holly and a This Morning boss had staged a "very well-constructed coup" as his TV career imploded.

A source said: "Phillip considered her a friend, his TV sister as he called her, and always backed her, even recommending her to do the jungle.

"Her lack of public support was a low blow in his eyes."