The team at This Morning are fearing how Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield will react to news that their most influential producer is about to quit the show.
The ITV show's editor Martin Frizell is credited with keeping 39-year-old Holly and 58-year-old Phil under control behind and in front of the camera on the award winning daytime magazine show.
Holly and Phil have won many fans for their lighthearted approach to discussing topics on week day mornings – and even more fans for their occasional lapses in professionalism which see them collapsing in laughter while live on air.
But Martin has signalled he is ready to ditch working on the flagship ITV daytime show as, at 61-years-old, he wants to take on “one last big job” before retirement.
A source told the Mail On Sunday: “Phil and Holly actually listen to Martin.
“Who knows what they'd do if he left?”
Holly and Phil are known for allowing juvenile humour to infiltrate their airtime together.
Last week, for example, the pair found themselves struggling to keep straight faces when Phil accidentally referenced a sex toy company instead of a holiday company.
He fluffed his words during a chat with money expert Martin Lewis.
Addressing a caller named Rebecca, Phil stammered: ”If Love Honey said...If Love Holidays... Love Honey," he giggled, "That's a whole different package coming through the door there.”
Holly laughed and covered her face as Phil joked: "That's a different package holiday."
"Totally different yeah," replied a red-faced Holly.
Meanwhile, the star couple may also be at risk of being split up amid calls for This Morning to hire the first black main presenter following 32 years on air.
Martin Frizell reportedly said to staff in a video conference earlier this month he is “looking into” hiring a black host following global protests and discussions about improving race relations.
It is claimed Martin said: "There is not a black presenter on any of the programmes today.
"We plan to change that, we [This Morning] are looking into it."
