TIME FOR CHANGE?
Is Holly’s crown as ITV’s Golden Girl slipping? With some viewers ‘happy to replace’ both her and Phil could Alison Hammond and Rylan be the new ‘Dream Team’...
Best pals Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have had a good run of being head girl and boy of ITV daytime. In fact, they’ve been on that famous sofa as a duo for over a decade now…
But, adored as they’ve been, it seems some This Morning
viewers ‘would happily replace them with Rylan and Alison’, after even Phil himself dubbed the pair ‘the Dream Team’ on the show recently.
Former X Factor contestant Rylan Clarke-Neal, 31, and the hilarious Alison Hammond, 45, have both had smaller presenting roles on the programme for years, doing showbiz stints – and giving A-listers - and all of us - a giggle along the way.
Friends star Jennifer Aniston had so much fun speaking to Alison last year that she forgot her place and swore live on air!
Rylan’s easy manner has a similar effect. As This Morning
host Ruth Langsford says: ‘There is never a dull day in the world of showbiz. Particularly when Rylan’s involved!’
And it’s not just the celebrity guests. After the pair appeared on the show last week, Twitter erupted with praise.
‘The novelty of [Holly and Phil] has worn off now… I would happily replace them with Rylan and Alison,’ said one.
‘Rylan, you and Alison Hammond are wasted doing the slots/shows,’ added another. And when former hosts Richard and Judy stepped in last month, one viewer tweeted, ‘Bring them back for good. So bored with childish giggles from Phil and Holly.’
Piers Morgan also took a humorous, yet savage swipe at the pair about them not being nominated for an award.
Piers couldn’t contain his glee when the nominations were announced for the Royal Television Society’s Programme Awards last Tuesday.
Good Morning Britain, got a nod – but This Morning, with its unchallenged 17-year run at the National Television Awards, was passed over.
Unable to hide his delight, the 54-year-old shouted: ‘Suck on that, you two!’ adding, ‘We are the only ITV show in that line-up.
‘Holly and Phil go to great lengths to remind everybody every time they win at the NTAs that we are “one big happy family”. So speaking as one big happy family...
‘You are not nominated, only this part of the family got nominated. I would love to win it, just so I can do the fake ITV family speech.’
Nobody can blame Piers for squeezing every drop of enjoyment out of GMBs nomination. But Holly – surely accustomed to her show’s winning streak may feel she needs to hold on a bit more tightly to that crown of hers from now on…
‘I would love to win it, just so I can do the fake ITV family speech’