Holly Willoughby has jetted off for a half term break in Portugal, relaxing with her family weeks after her former best friend and colleague Phillip Schofield hit out at her during his TV comeback.
The This Morning star looked relaxed as she showed off her holiday tan in a pair of denim shorts during a family lunch in the Portuguese sunshine.
The star was joined by her TV producer husband Dan Baldwin and their three children Harry, 14, Belle, 12, and Chester, eight.
She teamed her denim shirts with a navy sweater and chic sunhat as the group browsed a local shopping plaza after lunch.
Holly Willoughby has jetted off for a half term break in Portugal, relaxing with her family weeks after her former best friend and colleague Phillip Schofield made his TV comeback
Holly has taken time away from her TV career over the past year. She quit her 14-year stint on The Morning in October 2023 after discovering security guard Gavin Plumb plotted to kidnap, rape and murder her.
At the time, she said she was quitting the programme ‘for me and my family’.
Whilst Holly is now planning her TV comeback with a new Netflix show alongside Bear Grylls set to air in 2025, her former This Morning co-star Phillip returned to screens last month.
During Phil’s comeback show Cast Away, which aired on Channel 5 last month, the TV star took aim at those ‘who betrayed him’ 16 months ago when he quit ITV’s This Morning.
In the programme Phillip appears to blame his dramatic fall from grace on a trio of his former ITV colleagues, saying: ‘I think there are only three s**ts [of showbiz].’
He pointed out that one was a ‘coward who never stepped up in Queuegate,’ while another ‘is a coward because they never stepped up when I was being battered’.
He claimed the third ‘is just brand-orientated’, adding: ‘Not what you expect, not what you think you’re going to get.’
The three have since been revealed as Holly and their old ITV bosses Martin Frizell and Emma Gormley.
Whilst Holly is now planning her TV comeback with a new Netflix show set to air in 2025, her former This Morning co-star Phillip returned to screens last month in Channel 5’s Cast Away
The This Morning star looked relaxed as she showed off her holiday tan in a pair of denim shorts during a family lunch in the Portuguese sunshine
The star was joined by her TV producer husband Dan Baldwin and their three children Harry, 14, Belle, 12, and Chester, eight
Holly has now ruled out any reconciliation with her former best friend who reportedly sent her message on WhatsApp the day before news of his This Morning axe became public, claiming she had ‘brought him down’.
A source told MailOnline earlier this month: ‘The friendship between Holly and Phil is well and truly over, there is no way she is going to speak to him again after this.
‘Holly’s TV producer husband Dan is also furious about Phil’s behaviour towards her.
‘From rumours he refers to her as ‘the Witch’ in messages with friends to his barbed jibe about the ‘three s***s in showbiz’ in his Channel 5 show Cast Away, Dan has well and truly had enough.’
MailOnline has contacted Holly’s representatives for comment.
Phillip left This Morning last May following months of speculation about a breakdown in his relationship with Holly.
She teamed her denim shirts with a navy sweater and chic sunhat as the group browsed a local shopping plaza after lunch
Holly has taken time away from her TV career over the past year, after quitting her 14-year stint on The Morning in October 2023 after discovering security guard Gavin Plumb plotted to kidnap, rape and murder her
At the time, she said she was quitting the programme ‘for me and my family’
Holly smiled as she browsed local shops with her loved ones during the half term break
He then admitted to having an affair with a junior colleague and left ITV altogether.
The pair used to be best friends, with their families even taking annual holidays together but Phillip is said to have told Holly that she ‘brought him down’ before he resigned from This Morning.
The Daily Mirror reported Phillip sent the accusation in a WhatsApp message and said she should have publicly supported him following their fall out.
He then blamed her for not doing so, saying it then prompted him to stand down after 21 years on the ITV show.
Phillip had asked her for a public show of support such as a statement or picture together in the hope it would halt claims they had fallen out.
After he sent the WhatsApp, Holly reportedly replied she was in the dark about what was going on.
During Phil’s comeback show Cast Away, which aired on Channel 5 last month, the TV star took aim at those ‘who betrayed him’ 16 months ago when he quit ITV’s This Morning
Holly has now ruled out any reconciliation with her former best friend. A source told MailOnline earlier this month: ‘The friendship between Holly and Phil is well and truly over’
But friends of Phillip say he was so upset that he reported Holly to two senior ITV bosses. MailOnline has contacted ITV for comment.
A source told The Mirror: ‘Phillip considered her a friend, his TV sister as he called her, and always backed her, even recommending her to do the jungle. Her lack of public support was a low blow in his eyes.’
Phillip and his management were also said to be deeply suspicious of her PR team and were unhappy they weren’t correcting ‘false narratives running riot’.
Another factor in their fall out was said to be that Holly was unaware of the full details of his paedophile brother Timothy’s crimes.
Phillip’s 54-year-old brother was convicted in April 2023 of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two of sexual activity with a child.
The pair used to be best friends, with their families even taking annual holidays together but Phillip is said to have told Holly that she ‘brought him down’ before he resigned from This Morning
Holly is making the most of the school holidays, enjoying family time before making her TV comeback next year
While she and ITV were aware of a forthcoming trial last March, Phillip is understood to have not told her the full extent of it.
One showbusiness insider said: ‘You can see what Phil is doing, he is angry and he is taking his moment in the limelight, slinging more mud while people are interested in him.
‘Phil’s career ended because he lied, he resigned from ITV when he lied about having an affair with a much younger colleague. To say this is Holly’s fault is just ridiculous. Talk about blame the woman.’
Friends of Holly point to the fact that she was entirely vindicated for her falling out with Phillip after it emerged he had lied about his relationship with a younger colleague.
Holly said last year he had been dishonest with her about the affair, as he had also been to ITV, his agent YMU and his family. He also lied to the Mail about it and admitted the truth in a statement to us last May.
Phillip has been accused of being vindictive after texts revealed that he told Holly Willoughby that she ‘brought him down’ shortly before he resigned from This Morning
‘Phil is a self-confessed and proven liar so things he says have to be taken with a pinch of salt,’ a source said: ‘He lied to his colleagues, his employers and the media, let’s not forget that.’
Following rumours that they had fallen out last May, Phillip left Holly devastated when he made a public statement to discuss their friendship.
He said: ‘The last few weeks haven’t been easy for either of us. As I have said before, Holly is my rock. We’re the best of friends – as always, she is an incredible support on screen, behind the scenes and on the phone.
‘Holly has always been there for me, through thick and thin. And I’ve been there for her.’ Friends of Holly said at the time said she was ‘blindsided’ by his outburst.
