Phillip Schofield and Fern Britton reignited long-running feud

This Morning’s Phillip Schofield and ex co-host Fern Britton reignited their long-running feud months before his public spat with Amanda Holden

Phillip Schofield and ex co-host Fern Britton reignited their long-running feud months before his current spat with Amanda Holden.

The dispute occurred last October when Fern, 61, who left the show eight years ago, made it clear she was upset she hasn’t been invited to a special BAFTA ceremony for the show.

As the air turned frosty during the video link, fans soon swarmed Twitter to point out ‘the shade’ shortly before Phillip took to the microblogging site to insist she was in fact invited but declined the offer due to work commitments in Scotland.

Spat: Phillip Schofield and ex co-host Fern Britton reignited their long-running feud months before his current spat with Amanda Holden (pictured in 2008)

The row was resolved after Fern’s representatives revealed she had been invited to the BAFTA’s, but they declined on her behalf.

Fern was recruited as a guest presenter on the show in 1993 although nabbed the role of full-time host on the Friday edition alongside John Leslie, who was later replaced by Phil, who still fronts the show with Holly Willoughby.

After scooping an array of presenting jobs elsewhere, Fern announced in November 2008 that she was taking a break from the show to return two months later – yet in March 2009 she revealed she was permanently leaving the show.

The good days: Phillip’s row with Ferne came months before his fall out with Amanda

It was claimed at the time her departure was due to the fact she was ‘sick of living in Phil’s shadow’ while he was paid ‘three times her salary’, before she admitted in a 2013 interview that ‘we’re not in touch now’.

Things sparked up once more, as she claimed she had not been invited to the special BAFTA ceremony held in honour of the show.

Speaking on the episode, she said: ‘Congratulations, on the BAFTA I would have loved to have been there but I didn’t get an invite. I wasn’t on Monday night.’

Fuming: The dispute occurred last October when Fern, 61, who left the show eight years ago, made it clear she was upset she hasn’t been invited to a special BAFTA ceremony for the show

Telly favourite: Phillip currently presents the hit morning TV show with co-host Holly Willoughby (pictured June 2019)

Later in the day however, Phillip responded, writing: ‘Odd really, because she was invited and declined #memoryloss we’d have loved her to be there. A vital and much loved part of the show’.

Twitter users penned: ‘THE SHADE IS REAL! #ThisMorning #ThisMorning30 @Fern_Britton… OUCH. Turns out Fern Britton wasn’t invited to the #ThisMorning event at BAFTA on Monday and she called them out on it live on air…’

In the most recent development in the Phillip and Amanda drama, the presenter claimed she ‘offered him an olive branch’ which he allegedly ignored.

The TV and radio presenter, 48, revealed she tried to go for a coffee with the This Morning host in attempt to bury the hatchet, but he declined her invitation.

Making her exit: After scooping an array of presenting jobs elsewhere, Fern announced in November 2008 that she was taking a break from the show to return two months later – yet in March 2009 she revealed she was permanently leaving the show (pictured in 2008)

‘A sad weekend’: Amanda claims Phillip ‘ignored’ an ‘olive branch’ she offered last year in the hope of putting their bitter feud to bed

Pressed about the matter during her Heart FM radio show on Monday by her co-host Jamie Theakston, she said: ‘I’ve moved on from it, Jamie, you need to move on from it.

‘I did offer to meet [Phillip] for a coffee months ago, he didn’t reply to my text. What can I say?’

Jamie replied: ‘The olive branch had been extended.’ To which she replied: ‘Oh, yes.’

He posted on Sunday: ‘The end of another really sad weekend. When you try for 35 years to be the easiest, most fun person to work with and you read such hurtful and wildly untrue stories from nameless “sources”‘

Comparing the spat to the famous Taylor Swift/Katy Perry fall out, which was recently reconciled by the pop starlets in a music video in which they dressed up as fast food, Jamie asked: ‘In a kind of Katy Perry/Taylor Swift moment, will there maybe be a burger and fries moment for you guys?’

‘I doubt it,’ Amanda bit back. ‘I’m a vegetarian, Jamie.’ 

Amanda’s new claims came as Phillip declared he had been through a ‘really sad weekend’ after more ‘hurtful and untrue’ details of their increasingly acrimonious relationship emerged.

Thanks, no thanks: The TV and radio presenter, 48, revealed she tried to go for a coffee with Phillip  in an attempt to bury the hatchet, but he declined her invitation

He posted to Twitter on Sunday: ‘The end of another really sad weekend. When you try for 35 years to be the easiest, most fun person to work with and you read such hurtful and wildly untrue stories from nameless “sources”. 

‘Obviously I’ll take it on the chin. I just hope you know me better [sic].’ 

In Sunday’s The Sun, Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda said she believes the TV favourite sabotaged her chances of filling in on This Morning while Holly Willoughby hosted I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here.

Reports have long been rife about troubles between the TV hosts, with the latest detail of the story claiming Amanda headed to the top by lobbying ITV executives over the animosity after Phil allegedly pushed for Rochelle Humes to take the job.

Rift: The Britain’s Got Talent judge claimed that the telly favourite scuppered her changes for filling in on This Morning during his co-anchor Holly’s absence

A former daytime TV executive told the publication: ‘Phillip actively campaigned for Rochelle Humes, 30, to get the job despite Amanda being more experienced – and having been told privately she’d got the gig.

MailOnline has approached Amanda, Phillip and This Morning representatives for comment. An ITV spokesperson said: ‘Presenter line ups on This Morning change regularly and final decisions on these line ups are made by producers and not the presenters.

‘Phillip Schofield is a much loved broadcaster and part of the ITV family. He is a consummate professional and held in high regard at ITV.

‘Amanda is also held in high regard as a judge on one of our biggest shows.’ 

Tension: Amanda ‘confronted Phillip after believing he was the reason she didn’t get the This Morning presenting job’ while Holly starred on I’m A Celebrity (pictured in October 2018)

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