A TOP This Morning regular has opened up on the atmosphere on the ITV set following Phillip Schofield’s exit.
Royal correspondent Camilla Tominey, 44, detailed the “muted” mood backstage following the departure of longstanding anchor Phil, 61 – who was axed from the ITV morning show last week.
Royal reporter Camilla Tominey has opened up on the mood backstage at This Morning | Credit: Rex
It comes after anchor Phillip Schofield was axed | Credit: Rex
Camilla said the vibe was ‘muted’ on-set on Monday | Credit: Rex
Camilla arrived on Monday’s episode after Phil’s exit statement was released in full.
Talking of her This Morning experience – with the show presented by Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary – the Daily Telegraph’s Associate Editor wrote in a column: “Monday morning’s atmosphere was understandably muted.
“While we have grown used to the hugely likeable Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary standing in for Phil and Holly, who is now on half-term holiday until June 5, the finality of Schofield’s departure was impossible to ignore with a farewell at the beginning of the programme.
“Alison was clearly quite nervous as the task fell upon her comparatively inexperienced shoulders to pay tribute to her former co-star.”
Camilla – who recently opened up about getting death threats from Meghan Markle fans – added: “Viewers could perhaps be forgiven for wondering why there wasn’t an Ant and Dec-style montage of his best bits, but this is television, folks.
“Twenty one years on a show summarised in 35 seconds before moving on to the next feature.
“It’s brutal, but that’s the way it works because it’s the only way it can work: the viewers must always come first.”
Camilla has previously spoken out about cruel keyboard warriors sending hate mail to her home after she wrote stories on Meghan and Harry.
She bravely revealed she has been branded a “total c***” and verbally attacked by people on social media “supposedly defending the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s ‘truth’”.
Ms Tominey, who first broke the story that Harry was dating an American actor in 2016, opened up about the negative backlash she receives when covering stories on the royals.
Meanwhile, her analysis of This Morning’s backstage vibe came as The Sun revealed Phil had been left “completely broken” from the axing.
Phil’s former ITV co-star Holly Willoughby has now taken an extended half term break from This Morning.
Holly is not set to return to the This Morning screens until Monday, June 5 – after ITV revealed she was taking “an early half term holiday”.
A host of stand-in presenters were then confirmed after Phil’s axe.
An ITV spokesperson said: “Phillip Schofield’s decision to step down from This Morning was (as his statement made clear) a decision agreed between Phillip and ITV.”
