Phillip Schofield ‘lined up’ for £1.5 million deal to front rival channel

This Morning: Phil tries to make Holly laugh

Following speculation that there has been an ongoing rift between hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield behind the scenes of This Morning, the 61-year-old decided to step down from his role.

First joining the ITV show back in 2002, Phillip has fronted the daytime programme for 21 years, initially alongside Fern Britton before Holly stepped in in 2009.

With Holly taking an early break from This Morning, returning on June 5, it’s not yet known who will be taking over from them.

Although Phillip’s set to continue his other hosting duties for shows on ITV, it looks as though a rival station already has their eyes on him.

According to brand and culture expert Nick Ede, he predicts rival station Channel 5 could make him a multi-million-pound offer to switch.

Speaking to MailOnline, he said: “I think that Phillip is a very popular TV presenter who has had many many successful years on screen.

“He still has a lot of fans and I think that although his relationship on screen may be wavering he will have lots of other opportunities coming to him.

He’s a bankable star. His popularity will see him overcome the current hurdles he’s facing.

“Another broadcaster may take him on or he will do radio for a while, as that’s lucrative and popular too, and he has a great knowledge of music.”

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It wouldn’t be the first time that Channel 5 have poached another presenter as they wooed BBC’s Dan Walker with a reported £1.5 million deal, with Phillip expected to be made a offer similar.

However, they may have a struggle on their hands as bosses remain keen to keep Phillip Schofield on at ITV.

Managing Director Kevin Lygo paid tribute to the former This Morning host as he thanked Phillip for his long-running dedication to the show.

He said: “Phillip is hands down one of the best broadcasters of his generation and we thank him for his two decades worth of absolutely terrific television on the This Morning sofa.

“We look forward to continuing our relationship with Phillip starting with The British Soap Awards in June and a brand new peak time series to come.”

On Sunday afternoon, Phillip told his Instagram followers about his departure from This Morning following the attention it’s been getting for the wrong reasons.

He said: “Throughout my career in TV – including the very difficult last few days – I have always done my best to be honourable and kind.

“I understand that ITV has decided the current situation can’t go on, and I want to do what I can to protect the show that I love.”

This Morning continues weekdays on ITV from 10am.

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