The show must go on... even if it’s without Phil
WITHIN a few minutes of television yesterdayThis Morning’s presenters, crew and directors delivered an unmistakable message to viewers: “The show must go on.”
Title credits reminded viewers they were watching a Bafta award-winning and Best Daytime show at the National Television Awards.
Presenters Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond opened with a pacey introduction to a morning packed with light entertainment gems.
Viewers were treated to a quick tour of the tea rooms in Wilmslow, Cheshire, owned by Coronation Street star Simon Gregson’s wife Emma.
Upcoming features included a tour of homes of the rich and famous and later an eyebrow grooming “masterclass”.
Scandal
Dermot opened the show with the words: “Well hello, how was your weekend? Welcome!”
He and Alison may not have the intimate chemistry of Holly and Phil at their peak but this slick double act meant business all right; business as usual.
The elephant in the room was the scandal engulfing the show which has been front page news for days and still threatens its existence.
For a few moments it seemed they might try to ignore it completely, until they came to a spot on the show in which it simply could not go unmentioned.
Gyles Brandreth and Sonia Sodha were reviewing the news in MorningView.
Dermot said: “Now, we all know we happen to be in the news at the moment and of course we appreciate that but just from both of us and the whole team here, the crew, the guys downstairs, we love making the show for all of you.”
Alison added: “Yeah, we really do and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.We’re going to continue to do that.
“So let’s go on with our first news story. Gyles?”
Gyles picked up his cue adding: “We are very happy to be here. Can I say that as well?”
Keen to counter accusations thatThis Morning had been a “toxic” workplace at times Gyles went on: “Actually, this is a happy place to work. I enjoy coming in here. And have done since I began coming in here. It is good to be here.”
He turned to his co-presenter Sonia and asked: “You’re happy too aren’t you?”
She responded dutifully “I’m very happy to be here.”
Gyles added: “We’re happy people in a happy place with some interesting stories,” before beginning to discuss plans for a supermarket price cap.
This was a decent response to a difficult and painful set of circumstances and the message could not have been clearer:This Morning is not the Phil Schofield show. It has been one of the most successful daytimeTV shows in the world for almost 35 years. It is much-loved by its many viewers. It will go on.
And all of that seemed fair enough.