Loose Women panellist Nadia Sawalha revealed she does not know Phillip Schofield, 61, or Holly Willoughby, 42, very well despite being part of the ITV Daytime team.
The 58-year-old appeared to share a cryptic message about the ITV broadcaster in the wake of his departure from This Morning over the weekend.
It comes after Phillip announced in a candid statement he is stepping down from ITV with the broadcaster reiterating it was a mutual decision.
An ITV spokesperson told Express.co.uk: “Phillip Schofield’s decision to step down from This Morning was (as his statement made clear) a decision agreed between Phillip and ITV.”
Nadia said on the couple’s Coffee Moaning podcast: “This story with Phillip and Holly is just huge, it’s just everywhere. There’s so much speculation and so much chat.
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“I think everybody at ITV, like my colleagues, and whether I’m doing a live Instagram or on [YouTube], there is the constant question of why haven’t we said anything? Why are we not saying anything? It is difficult, because I do have a rule.
“There are people who don’t stick to that rule and I believe that a certain person who is in the news at the moment didn’t stick to that so much with me a long while ago.”
“I’m just going to leave that there…” Nadia added. “Something I never actually heard but something you and friends told me when I was in Big Brother.”
The ITV presenter chatted with her husband Mark Adderley on their podcast as she dished on life backstage.
“I don’t know Phillip and Holly,” she explained. “They pass around the studios but I’ve never had a cup of coffee with them, I’ve never sat and had a chat with them but I have a rule – and I think it’s a good one – that I don’t bad-mouth people that are colleagues.”
Nadia added: “I think that’s what makes you a decent person or not.”
She went on to offer her sympathies to her colleague Holly, saying: “I take umbrage with the suggestion that Holly has somehow kicked Phillip out of the way,” she said.
“It’s just plain sexist, because nobody actually knows apart from the people involved.”
After more than 20 years at This Morning, Phillip announced he is stepping down from the programme with “immediate effect”.
The presenter stated: “I have always been proud to cover fascinating stories on This Morning. But recently, This Morning itself has become the story.
“Throughout my career in TV – including the very difficult last few days – I have always done my best to be honourable and kind.
“I understand that ITV has decided the current situation can’t go on, and I want to do what I can to protect the show that I love.”
Phil’s co-presenter Holly will continue to host the ITV programme.