Phillip Schofield issued barbed dig by Holly Willoughby as she shares cryptic post amid ITV This Morning stars' fallout

This cryptic message comes amid reports that Schofield had branded Willoughby a "witch" following their highly publicised falling out earlier this year.

The timing of Willoughby's post has raised eyebrows, as it follows recent revelations about Schofield's alleged nickname for her.

According to The Sun, Schofield reportedly refers to Willoughby as "the witch" when discussing her with friends, even using a witch emoji in messages.

A source told The Sun: "He dislikes Holly so much now he calls her 'the witch' when talking about her and sends the emoji to his mates if she comes up. He messaged Holly and told her: 'You brought me down.' He was furious and still is."

The insider added: "Holly isn't batting an eyelid at this; it's like she couldn't care less. Phil is coming across as incredibly bitter."

This alleged animosity stems from the breakdown of their once-close friendship and professional partnership on ITV's This Morning.

Schofield left the programme in May 2023 after admitting to an "unwise but not illegal" affair with a younger male colleague.

He later claimed Holly had not supported him during the scandal, reportedly telling her via WhatsApp that she had "brought him down".

Schofield recently made his television comeback on Channel 5's reality show Cast Away, which aired in September 2023. During the programme, he appeared to criticise his former ITV colleagues, stating that the studio he worked at "became hostile".

Schofield said: "And the people who did it to me, know, they know how important that building was to me. They know that when you throw someone under a bus, you've got to have a really bloody good reason to do it.

"Brand, ambition is not good enough. It's not a good enough reason to throw someone under a bus."

These comments have further fuelled speculation about the deterioration of his relationship with Willoughby and other ITV staff.

The show, which saw Schofield dropped off on a remote island near Madgascar, marked his first television appearance since leaving This Morning after 20 years

Willoughby and Schofield had been a beloved presenting duo on ITV's This Morning for over a decade, hosting the programme together from 2009 until Schofield's departure in May 2023.

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Their partnership extended beyond This Morning, with the pair also co-hosting Dancing on Ice from 2006 to 2011 and again from 2018.

However, their relationship became strained in recent years, with several controversies affecting their public image. In December 2019, they faced criticism for a "giggly" interview with then-prime minister Boris Johnson, which some viewers perceived as biased.

In September 2022, the pair drew further controversy during a "Spin to Win" segment on This Morning, which offered to pay viewers' energy bills as a prize. The segment received 170 Ofcom complaints and was widely criticised for trivialising the cost-of-living crisis.

The duo's final controversy came during the lying-in-state of Queen Elizabeth II, when they were accused of "queue-jumping" at Westminster Hall.