Holly Willoughby was left stunned today over Vanessa Feltz's advice to a struggling mum.
A caller asking for advice had questioned whether she was unreasonable by offering her partner an ultimatum over their three-month-old.
The woman, who gave her name as 'Karen', said that her partner was ignoring her calls and not coming to see the child.
She said: "Am I being unreasonable in telling my partner to step up and be a dad or get out of my life? We live apart, have a three-month-old baby.
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"He never comes over to see him, he ignores me when I call him, I have another son so it's very hard to do everything. I just get on with it. Am I being unfair giving him an ultimatum?"
However Vanessa insisted that she should give her partner "a chance".
"Well the baby's only three months old so there are dads and mums that find it very hard to bond with a new baby," she said. "But one the child's a little bit older they really do get into much more of a relaxed gig.
"Lots of people of all sexes say 'I don't very much like new babies'. So I'd give a longer chance."
Phillip Schofield pointed out: "But they live apart."
Vanessa continued to say that the man should be given a longer chance "for a relationship to spring up", suggesting that the woman wait 18 months.
Stunned, Holly remarked: "I just think that when you've got a three-month-old baby and you're exhausted and you're doing everything on your own, the hurt and pain..."
But she added: "I get that you don't want to close the door because it's so important for the child to have a relationship with their father - I get that."
"Give him a chance to step up!" Vanessa exclaimed.
A sceptical Holly replied: "But to keep trying to organise picnics?"
"It would be great if he could become a dad," Phil conceded. "But after six months? Biff him!"
*This Morning airs weekdays at 10.30am on ITV
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