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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Alan Johnson

Petition to axe Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield from TV signed 75,000 times

A petition to remove This Morning presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield from television screens has now been signed a staggering 75,000 times.

The duo sparked widespread controversy after being accused of jumping the hours-long line to see the Queen lying in state earlier this month.

ITV stars Holly, 41, and Philip, 61, faced a barrage of criticism after footage emerged of the pals paying their respects at Westminster Abbey.

The pair swiftly responded, however, explaining that as members of the press, they didn't have an obligation to wait in line as they were reporting on the events.

In addition, This Morning issued a statement at the time clarifying that the two stars 'did not jump the queue, have VIP access or file past the Queen lying in state' and were there purely for work reasons.

Holly and Phil found themselves under fire after images of them at Westminster Abbey circulated online (BBC)

But that hasn't been enough to stop thousands demanding they don't appear on TV again.

The petition - labelled ''Axe Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby from TV' was launched on September 17 by irate Laura Harrison, who called the duo 'toxic.'

It's original target was set to 15,000 signatures, which, after being surpassed quickly was increased to 50,000 before it's current target of 75,000 being set.

The last update on Monday read: "Over 70,000 people have now signed the petition. To put that into perspective the UK’s largest stadium, Wembley Stadium, is almost at full capacity.

The pair have since pleaded their innocence, explaining that as members of the press they didn't have to queue (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

"In most industries one or two complaints made against staff or their employer, would be enough for their managers to raise concerns and check what happened, for apologies to be made, and in some cases, grievances.

"In precarious gig economy roles, those one or two complaints can cost people their jobs, and if three hundred complained about one or two members of staff, I’m sure it wouldn’t go unnoticed by their managerial board."

Graham Norton has branded Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield "foolish" as he waded into the queue jump row (BBC/So Television/Christopher Baines)

Last week, Holly looked to clarify what happened in a VT, as the now-infamous footage was aired for ITV viewers.

She said: "Like hundreds of accredited broadcasters and journalists we were given official permission to access the hall.

"It was strictly for the purpose of reporting on the event for millions of people in the UK who haven’t been able to visit Westminster in person.

"The rules were that we would be quickly escorted around the edges to a platform at the back. In contrast those paying respects walked along a carpeted area beside the coffin and were given time to pause.

"None of the broadcasters and journalists took anyone's places in the queue and no one filed past the Queen.

"We of course respected those rules however we realised that it may have looked like something else and therefore we totally understand the reaction.

"Please know that we would never jump a queue."

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