Phillip Schofield, 61, is said to be “almost a shell of himself” behind-the-scenes of This Morning, according to one “worried” colleague.
It comes after the presenter made a statement to address rumours of a feud between himself and co-star Holly Willoughby, 42, saying that recent weeks “haven’t been easy” for the ITV duo.
According to The Mirror, “some colleagues are worried about how Phillip is holding up” as reports of tensions rumble on.
One claimed to the publication: “He is becoming increasingly withdrawn and almost a shell of himself.
“He seems down and spends a lot of time in his dressing room. We’re worried about him.”
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Speculation had been mounting about whether Holly and Phil would appear on This Morning together on Monday, after it was reported that their friendship had “cooled”.
However, an ITV spokesperson confirmed to Express.co.uk that the duo “will be back on the This Morning sofa”.
In Phillip’s statement on the matter, he said on Thursday evening: “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. The last few weeks haven’t been easy for either of us.
“And Holly’s support throughout meant the world to me, as did the support of my bosses at ITV, my editor Martin Frizell and the whole This Morning family, including our amazing viewers.
“And of course, Holly has herself been ill with shingles.”
Holly has not spoken publicly about Phil since The Sun claimed she would want to keep hosting even if her co-host left This Morning.
In light of Phillip’s statement, show source told the publication: “This is desperate stuff from Phil. He knows the relationship has been strained.”
In March, Phillip took three weeks off from the show as his brother stood trial for sex offences. Timothy Schofield was subsequently convicted.
MailOnline have since claimed that Holly was “deeply upset” over allegedly being kept in the dark about the trial, claiming that she only found out when her co-star took time off from This Morning.
“Holly had to find out from someone else which must have been awful for her. She has been so loyal to him,” a source told the publication.
“It has been upsetting for her, they have been pretty inseparable for 14 years.
“They have been through so much together, some happy and some really tough. But now their once super close friendship is no longer.”
Express.co.uk has contacted representatives for Holly and Phillip for comment.