Holly Willoughby determined to take lead over Phillip Schofield: 'new crisis'

Holly Willoughby's once-close friendship with Phillip Schofield first began to fell apart in May 2023. 

It all started when Phillip's shocking admission of 'an unwise but not illegal affair' with a younger male colleague came to light, forcing him to resign from This Morning. 

The scandal also affected his long-standing on-screen partnership with Holly. 

Just five months later, Holly also stepped away from the ITV sofa after a chilling kidnap and murder plot against her surfaced-leaving fans wondering what would come next for the much-loved presenter.

Now according to insiders speaking to Closer, Holly, 44, is quietly preparing for a major TV comeback. But there's drama brewing behind the scenes-as whispers grow that Phillip is also plotting his own return, and Holly is determined to make her move before he does. 

'There's a lot of speculation that phil is planning a big comeback of his own soon and that's why Holly wants to make her move first,' an insider reveals. 

'If she waits and comes back after him, people are likely to suggest she's simply reacting to that.

'Holly wants to be seen and regarded as a presenter in her own right. So it's no surprise that Holly is worried what else Phil could say. 

'She does not want Phil to get away with coming back with a show that might eclipse her return,' source adds.

Her time working with Phil is firmly in the past and she now wants to focus on carving out an exciting new future for her and her family.

Meanwhile, Phillip, 63-who co-hosted This Morning alongside Holly for over 13 years-quietly stepped back into the spotlight in September with his Channel 5 series Cast Away. 

The show sparked chatter after viewers noticed a few moments that appeared to be subtle digs aimed at Holly, suggesting the tension between the former TV favourites is far from over.