Blog

This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield will return to the ITV show after he was replaced by South Gloucestershire comedian Joel Dommett and future Great British Bake Off presenter Alison Hammond this week. Phil has been absent this week from the famous blue sofa that he usually shares with Holly Willoughby.

ITV announced yesterday (March 28) that Joel, 37, would take Phil’s place for the Wednesday and Thursday shows, with Alison and Dermot O’Leary returning for their regular Friday fun at the end of the week. According to The Sun, Phil, 60, will return to the studio on Monday, April 3, after a week off.

Phil’s return to This Morning, which usually airs between 10am and 12:30pm, will come just two days after his 61st birthday on Saturday. He has been hosting the daytime TV show since 2002, with 42-year-old Holly joining him in 2009 following Fern Britton’s departure.

Read more: Carol Vorderman praises Paul O’Grady for taking on TV execs ‘before Gary Lineker’

Joel confirmed the news that he would be stepping in to introduce This Morning on Instagram. He excitedly told fans: “This is not a drill! I’ll be hosting @thismorning for the next few days with @hollywilloughby – See you in the morning ❤.”

Sharing a photo of him and Holly in the studio together, he wrote: “I’M GONNA DO IT.”

Phil’s absence from This Morning comes as his younger brother stands trial after being accused of having sex with a teenager. Timothy Schofield, 54, has been charged with 11 counts of sex crimes involving a child, all of which he denies.

Timothy is understood to have committed the attacks while working for Avon and Somerset Constabulary, with the most serious charge involving a sexual act with an underage child. Other crimes he has been charged with include forcing a child to view pornography and viewing it while “engaging in sexual activity.”

The alleged crimes are said to have taken place over three years, from October 2016 to October 2019. The trial at Exeter Crown Court is continuing.

Click here to sign up for the South West TV Talk newsletter, bringing you the latest entertainment news, gossip and features from across the West Country each week.

Read more:

“I just can’t do this” – Teary Molly-Mae describes big changes after becoming a mother

Heartbreaking loss of Paul O’Grady in latest social media post

Helen Flanagan shows off ‘dreamy’ Dior sandals in racy video

Celebrity Hunted fans rage as All4 ‘drops’ during opening episode

Daisy May Cooper says she and her brother Charlie used to steal before they were famous