Ephraim Hardcastle
DID Buckingham Palace have advance knowledge of the simmering Schofield affair? On Wednesday May 17’s This Morning, Holly pecked Phillip’s cheek as she cantered off set to attend a Prince’s Trust reception at Buck House, leaving him as solo presenter. Three days later, Schofield abruptly resigned. Both she and her co-host were celebrity ambassadors for the trust, but only Holly was invited to the shindig. As revealed here on Tuesday, he has now been dropped by the trust. Was the Palace given a heads-up about the imminent storm to spare the King the embarrassment of being photographed alongside Schofield just days before his downfall?
CELEBRATING his 70th birthday with friends in Italy, did recently retired ITV chairman Sir Peter Bazalgette raise a glass to toast his narrow escape from the Schofield shambles? Like ITV boss Carolyn McCall, hired by him, Sir Peter remains mute in the face of unsavoury details leaking out about Schofield’s gay affair and the alleged cover-up that occurred on his watch. The Big Brother innovator will have all his fingers crossed that this debacle won’t stymie his ambition to be the next chairman of the BBC.
DUMPED This Morning co-host Eamonn Holmes continues his vendetta against Phillip Schofield, reminding GB News viewers of the official excuse for his and Holly’s attendance at the Queen’s lying in state. ‘They were there to make a film on the Queen’s funeral. Have you seen the film?’ he sarcastically inquires. Am I alone in thinking that the increasingly sour Holmes has entertained us enough about the shabby circus at ITV?
ASSESSING his working relationship with fellow former BBC man and now Global co- presenter Jon Sopel, 64, pictured, cocky whippersnapper Lewis Goodall, 33, cheekily describes it as ‘this older, overbearing presenter and then his younger dynamic successor, heir apparent’. Precious Sopel responds: ‘Shut up, Lewis.’ Should have called him Holly, Jon!
RASPY warbler Bonnie Tyler, marking the 40th anniversary of her hit Total Eclipse Of The Heart, mourns Tina Turner, telling Classic Rock: ‘Tina really inspired me... Although I did record Simply The Best two years before she did it.’
TORMENTED by fellow pupils at school, Alan Carr, promoting Changing Ends, his TV account of growing up as a gay teen in 1980s Northampton, has had the last laugh. ‘I’ve done book signings in Northampton,’ he tells Woman’s Own. ‘And some of the bullies have turned up with their books for me to sign, saying, “Do you remember me?” I’m like, “Yeah – you once shoved my head down a toilet!” To any of those bullies watching Changing Ends, I can say, “Ha! Look at me now. I’m an icon!”’
REFLECTING on the Schofield feeding frenzy, comedy star and former Young One Adrian Edmondson jokily remarks of Schofield’s original children’s TV puppet sidekick: ‘We’ve still heard nothing from Gordon the Gopher.’