Phillip Schofield Makes First Public Appearance After Feud with Holly Willoughby

Phillip Schofield has been spotted in public for the first time since making disparaging remarks about his former ‘This Morning’ co-host, Holly Willoughby.

The 62-year-old former presenter was in high spirits during an evening out in Mayfair, dining at Brown’s Hotel with ‘This Morning’ regular Gyles Brandreth, 76, and his wife, Michele Brown.

Schofield was in high spirits (Picture: Click News and Media)

Schofield, dressed in a navy blazer, jumper, white shirt, and chinos, was all smiles as he left the hotel arm-in-arm with the couple after a lavish meal. Brandreth looked equally sharp in a shirt and blazer, while Michele Brown added a pop of colour with a vibrant jacket.

This marks Schofield’s first public outing since reports surfaced that he had allegedly nicknamed Willoughby, 43, ‘the witch’ after she refrained from publicly supporting him during his career downfall. Last year, Schofield admitted to having an ‘unwise’ affair with a much younger male runner while still married. This led to his departure from ‘This Morning’, being dropped by his management company, and the collapse of his once-close friendship with Willoughby.

He dined with Gyles Brandreth and his wife Michele Brown at Charlie’s restaurant in Mayfair (Picture: Click News and Media)

Despite the reported tension, sources close to Willoughby have suggested she remains unfazed by Schofield’s comments. According to ‘The Sun’, she’s not ‘batting an eyelid,’ with insiders saying, “It’s like she couldn’t care less. Phil is coming across as incredibly bitter. Holly knows her real friends, the people she pays attention to.”

Brandreth is a This Morning regular (Picture: Click News and Media)

In recently leaked WhatsApp messages, Schofield reportedly expressed frustration with Willoughby, accusing her of having ‘brought him down’ when his work opportunities dried up. Schofield was allegedly disappointed that Willoughby did not make any gestures to dispel rumours of a feud between them. However, she is believed to have avoided doing so to prevent fuelling the narrative surrounding their strained relationship.

Schofield reportedly called Willoughby ‘the witch’ (Picture: James Veysey/Shutterstock)

After staying out of the public eye for over a year, Schofield recently returned to television with ‘Cast Away’, a three-part Channel 5 series documenting his 10-day survival on a deserted island in Madagascar. The series marked his return to screens after he departed from ITV, where he had hosted ‘This Morning’ for 21 years. However, Schofield stated in the series that he would “never in a million years” return to daytime TV.

They shared the screen for years before rumours of a feud engulfed the programme (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

During *Cast Away*, Schofield made a series of candid revelations, including blaming his brother Timothy’s criminal conviction for his dismissal from ITV. Timothy Schofield, 54, was convicted last year of 11 sexual offences involving a child. Phillip Schofield expressed relief that justice had been served but criticised ITV, claiming he was fired due to the publicity surrounding his brother’s case. “I was fired for someone else’s crime,” he said.

Schofield made a controversial TV comeback on Cast Away (Picture: Channel 5)

Despite the anticipation surrounding Schofield’s return to television, ‘Cast Away’ failed to perform well in viewership. The final episode drew in just 988,000 viewers, a drop from the 1.1 million who tuned in the night before, falling short of the slot’s average.

While Schofield’s career remains in flux, his public appearance in Mayfair suggests he is trying to move forward, though the rift with Willoughby appears far from healed.

Sola Adeniji

News Reporter, Freelancer, and content creator

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