It’s fair to say ITV hit show This Morning has not been short of drama these past few weeks. Honestly, who knew daytime telly could be soooo dramatic?!
What was once a British institution with near-national treasure status, has now gone up in flames after being hit by scandal after scandal.
It’s been a month since Phillip Schofield quit and everything went wrong for the hit ITV daytime show, but has This Morning got away with it? I’m not so sure it has, you know…
ITV This Morning hit by scandal after scandal
In case you’ve been living under a rock, or just need a lil’ recap, basically…. last month former national treasure Phillip Schofield admitted to an affair with a younger employee. And as expected, stuff quickly hit the fan. Phillip stepped down from ITV, his co-stars lashed out at him and some even accused the broadcaster of being aware of Phillip’s “unwise but not illegal” fling – something it denied.
Phillip’s former bestie and co-host Holly Willoughby was also dragged into the mess. With viewers begging bosses to give her the boot from the show too.
She was coincidentally missing from the ITV show when all this went down btw. She released a lacklustre Instagram Story statement when Phillip first confessed to his affair. But apart from that she stayed silent on the matter. And instead headed abroad for a lavish family holiday (alright for some, eh?).
That was until she made her much-anticipated return to This Morning two weeks later – without Phillip by her side. As expected, all eyes were on Holly as she addressed the whole scandal for the first time. And while bosses were no doubt on the edge of their seats as she spoke out, they could probably take comfort in the fact the clip brought in a whooping 1,633,410 viewers. Good job she checked they were all okay!
ITV This Morning has left a bad taste in my mouth
But what has the whole drama done for the once iconic show? When your name is dragged through the mud, can you ever recover? Well, it seems This Morning is determined to do so, regardless of whether viewers think it can or not.
Since Holly’s return, several ITV stars have fronted the show alongside her – while bosses presumably decide on a permanent replacement for Phillip. But, whatever the truth might be behind the scenes, This Morning’s brand has been badly tarnished.
Like that time she used a splash of out-of-date milk in our tea, the show has left a rather bad taste in my mouth.
As someone who used to watch the show religiously with my late nan, armed with our cups of tea and toast, it’s sad to see the show go so downhill. And like that time she used a splash of out-of-date milk in our tea, the show has left a rather bad taste in my mouth.
And I’m not alone. “Has This Morning been axed yet?” one viewer tweeted. “Riveting stuff! This show just goes from strength to strength,” said another after a segment on fairies (yes, really) last week. A third added: “You’re failing badly – wonder what the ratings are now?”
Since they asked, they’re actually up A LOT since Schofield left. Figures were up 100,000 as Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary first took the reins of the show. And it enjoyed another boost of 10,000 viewers overnight after the execs were hauled in front of MPs for questioning. Just don’t mention that Tower Block Tracy comment!
So… will This Morning survive?
Being a Brummie, I’m all for seeing Alison front the series. And as a gay male with plenty of daddy issues, seeing Dermot O’Leary on my TV screen ain’t too bad either. I’m not against Holly either to be fair – she’s a telly legend who I think genuinely had no idea about Phillip’s fling. But at the moment, her situation is all just a bit sticky. You can bet your bottom dollar she’s willing that summer break to roll around!
So has the show got away with it? Will the scandal ever be left in the past? This particular member of the jury is still out, but I have to admit, I’m veering towards yes.
Let’s look at the evidence. Ratings are up, Holly seems happy on screen, Schofield has disappeared without a trace, taking the headlines with him. As long as nothing else comes out of the woodwork I can’t see it being axed.
The bosses might just have to ignore the tweets of an angry few on the hashtag and hope their advertisers opt to renew their contracts!
Read more: Josie Gibson details ‘highs and lows’ of working on This Morning as she reveals on-set panic attack
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