UNBREAKABLE BOND! Phillip Schofield stands by Holly Willoughby over 'kidnap and murder plot'

‘True friends are never part, maybe in distance but never in heart’.

This quote perfectly fits ex-This Morning host Phillip Schofield who has made sure to convey his regards for his former co-host Holly Willoughby as she dealing with quite a tough time.

After five months of silence, Phillip reached out to Holly and offered his support in the wake of an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her.

Sources close to Schofield, 61 have said there is 'still a bond' between the couple as they claimed Holly was 'really happy' to hear from him.

The duo presented the breakfast show together for 14 years and were extremely close, until details emerged of Schofield's affair with a younger male member of staff at This Morning, which he allegedly lied to Holly about.

It comes after Holly, 42, abruptly disappeared from the nation's TV screens on Thursday after police informed her of an alleged conspiracy by shopping centre security guard, Gavin Plumb, 36, who it is claimed had been in touch with an American hitman.

Plumb appeared in court on Friday charged with offences including soliciting to commit murder and incitement to commit kidnap, and the judge heard the plan was so far advanced that the 'hitman', who has not been arrested or named, was due to arrive in the UK next week.

A source close to Schofield said Holly was 'really happy' to hear from Schofield, the Mirror reports, after five months of silence following the events of the past year.

Schofield was forced to quit the ITV show after it emerged he had lied to bosses about 'an unwise but not illegal' affair, and the pair are said to have not been in touch since.

The source said: 'Holly and Phil's friendship was so close before the events of this year. Phil's decision to reach out, and the welcome it has been received with by Holly, shows that there is still a bond there.

'The hope is they can regain some of the ground lost, and support each other again.'