Entertainment
‘No ill will’ against Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield from people in queue to see Queen’s coffin and pair even ‘took selfies’ with fans-Rachael O'Connor-Entertainment – Metro
ITV insists pair weren’t booed by disgruntled queuers.
Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby took selfies with and greeted those queueing to see the Queen before the outrage erupted (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield took selfies with people queueing to see the Queen’s coffin and there was ‘no ill will’ from the crowd, it has been claimed.
The This Morning presenters have been embroiled in controversy over the past week after they were accused of skipping the hours-long queue to see the late Queen in Westminster Hall.
Both presenters have since addressed the uproar, making it clear they attended as accredited media and were there to work, and did not jump ahead.
They have been supported by ITV amid the incredibly huge public outcry, and a petition to have them both fired from their jobs has reached over 65,000 signatures.
An ITV source has now revealed that actually, on the day of their work visit to see the Queen’s coffin, people waiting in line were happy to see the presenters.
‘Phillip and Holly stopped to meet many that greeted them and had selfies. There was no ill will at all towards them,’ an ITV source told Metro.co.uk
The presenters say they were there in the capacity of news presenters and did not skip the queue (Picture: ITV)
An ITV spokesperson also rebuffed a claim that Holly and Phil were booed by onlookers on the day.
They said in a statement: ‘This account is untrue and is not a fair and accurate representation of what happened that day.
‘Phillip and Holly were escorted by government staff to work from the media gallery. They did not file past the Queen’s coffin and were there alongside a host of other broadcasters and national media in a professional capacity.’
The statement comes after a man who says he waited for 14 hours to see the Queen’s coffin claimed the TV presenters were shouted at by those in the queue.
Builder Joe, 41, told The Sun he was nearing the end of the queue when he saw the presenters ‘walk straight past us all,’ claiming ‘a few people started shouting.’
Phil and Holly addressed the controversy in a special edition of This Morning on Tuesday, which reflected on the Queen’s life and death after her State funeral was held the day before.
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The pair sparked outrage when they were seen in Westminster Hall (Picture: ITV)
Holly was heard saying in a voiceover in the segment: ‘Like hundreds of accredited broadcasters and journalists we were given official permission to access the hall.
‘It was strictly for the purpose of reporting on the event for millions of people in the UK who have not been able to visit Westminster in person.
Hundreds of thousands of people queued to see the Queen lying in state, with members of the Royal Family on occasion coming out to greet those waiting (Picture: WireImage)
Celebrities such as David Beckham and Susanna Reid were seen waiting in the queue to pay their respects (Picture: REUTERS)
‘The rules were that we would be quickly escorted around the edges to a platform at the back.
‘In contrast, those paying respect walked along a carpeted area beside the coffin and were given time to pause.
‘None of the broadcasters and journalists there took anyone’s place in the queue and no one filed past the Queen. We of course respected those rules.’
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She added, however, that they ‘realise that it may have looked like something else, and therefore totally understand the reaction.
‘Please know that we would never jump a queue.’
This Morning previously addressed the visit in a statement posted on Instagram, saying: ‘We asked Phillip and Holly to be part of a film for this Tuesday’s programme.
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‘They did not jump the queue, have VIP access or file past the Queen lying in state – but instead were there in a professional capacity as part of the world’s media to report on the event.’
Metro.co.uk has reached out to reps for Holly and Phil for comment.
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