The fascinating obsession with Phillip Schofield’s downfall

The rift between Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, long-standing sobbing/giggling presenters of This Morning, has been one of the big talking points of recent weeks. A torrent of Holly ‘n’ Phil headlines has covered every twist and turn: Holly’s shock This Morning departure! (She clocked off ten minutes early to attend a function.) Shock This Morning farewell from Holly and Phil! (They’re taking a summer holiday like they do every year.) These headlines were all false tempters, but I’m only slightly ashamed to say I found myself clicking on every single one.

Now, though Schofield really has gone for good: I was so used to these all-mouth-and-no-trousers false dawns that my first reaction to seeing the headline that Schofield was to leave This Morning with immediate effect was to think it would be qualified with something like ‘until Monday’s show’. But no: in a statement this weekend, Schofield confirmed the news.