'WE'VE ALWAYS GOT EACH OTHER TO FALL BACK ON'

PHILLIP SCHOFIELD AND HOLLY WILLOUGHBY ON RETURNING TO OUR TELLIES AFTER SWITCHING OFF FOR THEIR SUMMER BREAKS

- GEMMA McCARTNEY

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby are rested up and ready to resume their hosting duties on This Morning next week after their summer breaks. But while they made sure they had time to

chill, the presenters reveal they’ve also kept in contact with their daytime TV family via meet-ups and WhatsApp groups.

“To see each other socially is always really nice,” says Holly, 41, before Phil, 60, adds, “There were a few barbecues and having Alison [Hammond] stay recently was fun!”

Now, the stars are setting their alarm clocks and looking forward to welcoming guests to their iconic sofa once again – and, of course, catching up with their colleagues.

“I mean, in the make-up room in the mornings, everyone’s chatting – it’s like, ‘What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!’ Everyone knows everything about everybody, and that’s nice,” says Phil. “It’s more than a job, it’s much more than that. I’m not gonna lie, This Morning is one of my support groups and that’s a lovely thing to have.”

Here, the duo talk about what’s in store on the show and why the menopause is such an important topic for them both…

Hi, guys! How would you sum up your summer holidays? Phillip: The best thing about summer is turning off the alarm! I usually have three alarms that get me up in the morning because when you’re getting up at 5.30am, you’ve got to be sure you’re going to wake up. Actually, the final alarm is really my driver either phoning or banging on the window – that’s when I know I’m cutting it fine! So having all of that gone is a nice feeling.