Phillip Schofield has rubbished claims of a spat with This Morning and Dancing on Ice co-host Holly Willoughby – saying she is like a sister to him.
The star, 57, was allegedly angered after a magazine made her look the bigger star when she stood in for Ant McPartlin on I’m a Celebrity.
But at Dancing on Ice’s 2020 series launch, he said: “I’ve always said, ‘If I could have had a sister, Holly would be my sister’.
"We think at the same speed, we work well together."
A clearly emotional Holly, who replaced Fern Britton, 62, on This Morning in 2009, agreed their friendship was stronger than ever as the celebs for the 2020 series of Dancing On Ice were unveiled.
Holly, 38, added: “Phil has been a mentor and a friend. To do that amount of live telly you do have to think in the same way. You morph into this one presenter.”
This Morning editor Martin Frizell also hit back at the claims, insisting the pair have a “genuine friendship”.
He added: “We have the smartest viewers watching and they would be the first to notice any issues – they haven’t because there are none.”
ITV said that Phillip had been the victim of “malicious gossip”.
Tension between Philip and This Morning’s Friday presenter Ruth Langsford, 59, was reported last week after it was claimed he stopped Amanda Holden , 48, covering for Holly while she was in the jungle.
Holly added she hoped their presenting partnership would continue into old age.
Phillip, 57, said: “I’ll get there before you so if I can remember what I’m doing, look after me and it will all be fine.”
Holly vowed: “I’ll look after you - that would be nice.”
