PHILLIP Schofield has unfollowed former best friend Holly Willoughby — hours before This Morning lost out at the daytime National TV Awards for the first time in 12 years.
Many blame the Schofield scandal for the great decline in popularity of the show.
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Holly Willoughby arrives at NTA’s for the first time without Phil Credit: Rex
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Phillip Schofield unfollowed ex-best friend Holly Willoughby hours before the awards Credit: Splash
The shock loss at London’s O2 Arena upset some staff, with the coveted gong going to Jay Blades-led The Repair Shop.
A source said: “This Morning has won the Daytime Award for 12 years so to lose it now is a real kick in the teeth.
“There is a feeling that all the scandal around Phil and what happened has hurt the brand.
“It’s so hard for the team behind This Morning because they work so hard.
“Holly is doing her best to win back the public, but it will take some time for the show to regain its popularity. She is the key to the future success of This Morning.”
Holly (42) arrived at the party for the first time without Phil (61).
Phil, who was pictured leaving a London pub the day before the awards, stepped down in May after admitting he had an affair with a young female runner.
Holly told The Sun she wanted to distance herself from the upset, adding: “It’s been a tough year.
“People now want to move on. The feeling is different. If I’m being really honest, it’s been up and down.
“But what’s nice is that you find that people rally around you and that there’s goodwill.”
She returned to the show on Monday after a summer break and said she wanted ITV bosses to give her a permanent co-hosting role.
She added: “That would be wonderful. A lot of people ask me all the time, and I guess I wonder myself.
“But the truth is, it’s not really up to me.”
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The shock loss at London’s O2 Arena has upset some This Morning staff Credit: Rex
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Holly, Alison and Dermot at dinner Credit: Rex
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Phillip Schofield resigned in May after admitting he had an affair with a young female runner Credit: ITV
Happy Valley star Sarah Lancashire has been crowned NTA queen as she scoops a trio of gongs.
The actress, 58, rose to the occasion when she won best drama performance for her epic portrayal of Sergeant Catherine Cawood in the BBC1 police thriller.
The hit series also triumphed in the Comeback Drama category after the sensational climax of its third and final series of the year.
Former Corrie favorite Sarah was delighted to receive the prestigious Outstanding Contribution Award at the end of the night.
The emotional star said as she collected her Happy Valley gong: “Thank you so much for this. I adored every scene, every moment of Happy Valley. And I know I’ll never forget that.”
She paid tribute to co-stars James Norton and Siobhan Finneran and thanked series creator Sally Wainwright, adding: “She’s what makes the happy valley. Her writing is so extraordinary, her characters are extraordinary.”
Lancashire-born Sarah has also been honored for her stellar television performances over the past four decades.
She first appeared as Rovers Return waitress Raquel Wolstenhulme in 1991, making her one of Weatherfield’s best-loved characters. Raquel married Curly Watts before Sarah decided to leave the ITV soap at the height of its fame in 1996.
She has starred in a number of other major series, including ITV’s Where The Heart Is and BBC1’s Last Tango in Halifax, also written by Wainwright.
They teamed up again for Happy Valley, which first aired back in 2014 and became an instant hit. Fans had to wait seven years for the last dramatic series, and the end was watched by more than 11.5 million viewers.
His co-star Norton is also nominated for best performance in a drama as villain Tommy Lee Royce.
Sarah is the first Corrie star to win the Outstanding Contribution gong since 1995, when Julie Goodyear, now 81, who played Raquel’s boss Bet Lynch, won it.
Stars at London’s O2 Arena included Ant and Dec, GMB’s Richard Arnold and TalkTV’s Piers Morgan.
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Sarah Lancashire was crowned Queen of the NTA as she collected a trio of gongs Credits: Rex
PAUL & LEWIS WIN FOR DOGS AND DOGS
COMEDIAN Paul O’Grady has been posthumously honored with a Factual Entertainment Award for his hit series For The Love Of Dogs.
Awards host Joel Dommett celebrated the “kindness” and “sense of fun” of the star, who died aged 67 in March.
A montage showing Paul as Lily Savage’s alter-ego was met with thunderous applause. And Lily’s interview with Sir Michael Parkinson had the audience in stitches.
Joel said: “His career came in many forms and no matter what he did, combined with a unique sense of fun, he won over audiences in no time.”
Scottish pop star Lewis Capaldi won the original documentary gong for his Netflix show, How I Am Now. Lewis, who broke down at Glastonbury, told fans: “The truth is I’m still learning to adapt to the impact of my Tourette’s.
“I need to spend a lot more time to sort out my mental and physical health so that I can do everything I love for a long time.”
He beat the late The Sun Bowelbabe columnist Dame Deborah James for the award.
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Source: HIS Education