The Holly and the envy for Phillip?
AS HOLLY Willoughby becomes the most powerful woman on television, ITV bosses are worried about how her This Morning cohost Phillip Schofield is taking being eclipsed.
Holly, 37, was virtually unknown when she first joined him on the sofa nine years ago but her popularity has skyrocketed thanks to her stint on I’m A Celebrity.
The programme achieved its highest ever ratings – 12.1million viewers – as Holly joined Declan Donnelly in the jungle instead of his usual partner Ant McPartlin.
The mother-of-three has also become a fashion icon and amassed 4.8 million followers on Instagram, has a £2million deal with Marks & Spencer, other lucrative contracts with Diet Coke and beauty products giant Garnier, and is on the brink of doubling her ITV income by signing a new deal worth around £5million.
Although Schofield, 56, is regarded as king of daytime TV, executives are anxious about how he will react to being overshadowed by Holly. A source tells me: ‘The bosses worry for Phil – he was always the more popular one.
‘Holly was there initially as someone who we didn’t really know, so there are fears among those high up that he is finding this tough, that he is upset.
‘Holly and Phil are great friends, which in a way makes it worse. Not a day goes by when Holly isn’t on TV or in a newspaper.’
Even Holly’s number of Instagram followers is almost double the audience of 2.8 million who watch Schofield’s quiz show 5 Gold Rings – one of his few sidelines away from This Morning.
ITV is determined to thwart any attempts by rivals to poach Holly. An insider said: ‘She’s our girl, and we are issuing a hands-off to anyone who might try to get her.’