September sees the return of Phillip and Holly to This Morning

The show has seen a rotation of presenting duos on-screen filling in during the popular pair’s summer holiday.

This Morning sees the return of stalwart regulars Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby next week with the long-running ITV Daytime magazine show bringing two-and-a-half hours of fun and features to viewers five days a week.

Speaking about their return to Television Centre where the programme is currently produced Holly, who joined the show as the main co-host in 2009, noted:

“You know what, I sometimes forget what I’m doing after a long weekend! But you soon get back into the swing of things and that’s nice when there’s two of you because if I was on my own I’d be much more worried about that… we’ve always got each other to fall back on.”

Phillip, who guest presented his first This Morning in 1998, and has been the main co-host since 2002, added:

“I never unpack my work bag, so on the last Friday, the only thing I ever really packed away was my earpiece! My bag then goes on a little bench in my hallway and when it comes to returning I just pick it back up again! Thankfully there isn’t massive prep, there are so many other things to worry about in my head, but thankfully, after 40 years, telly is a solid safe thing that I know how to do, and with 20 of those being on This Morning I don’t get nervous here!

“But I do realise when people come on the show, sometimes they are terrified and I always say to those people, ‘Just sit there, look at us, forget everything you see around you, it’s just like we’ve come round to your house and we’re just talking to you on the sofa’ … so although we don’t get nervous, for some people it’s a really big thing. And if we’ve been told beforehand that someone is really scared, we will then go and find them backstage – before the show or during a break – and sit with them to explain that there’s really nothing to worry about. The whole team here are so lovely and we have a support team and aftercare available if it’s needed. You want it to be a nice safe experience for everybody, and it should be, unless you’re on for a reason that you’re going to get a grilling!

“Often it’s actors that come on and you see their hands shaking and you think ‘bloody hell’ and you forget that they do what they do very publicly playing other people, but for some being themselves on live telly can turn them to jelly…

On what may be in store across this series – its 34th year on air – the pair tease a few new features. Holly notes:

“I know that we have some brand new series with Gino showing us around his homeland in Sardinia which will be amazing because it’s a fantastic place… and also a new fashion and travel series with Gok who will take viewers on a style tour of some great cities in the UK and across Europe, so I’m looking forward to that.”

While Phillip adds:

“And I’m still thinking about my Halloween costume for this year…”

Asking to sum each other up in five words, Phillip suggested ‘Holly is sensitive, kind, intuitive, spiritual, and a friend.’ While Holly added, ‘It’s so hard to describe Phil in five words – but I would say playful, and he’s very loyal, kind, very funny…and a friend.’ And its that friendship that makes the television husband and wife a hit with viewers, the show has won eleven National Television Awards, and each and every one of them has been a treasured win. Holly observes:

“Everyone says, ‘Oh it’s not about the awards’ but when the awards are voted for by either the readers [of the magazine awards] or viewers then absolutely it’s that because you make the show for the audience, the people who are watching, and I think This Morning belongs to everybody who works on it and everyone who watches it, so those awards belong to everybody. And it’s nice to know people love it as much as they always have. It’s really important and means so much to us!

“It would be incredible to win again. We really don’t take it for granted and every year leading up to it you feel that pressure. Everyone who is nominated works so hard, so you really don’t know what’s going to happen… we just appreciate every single moment of it, and if we win again then of course we will celebrate! You have to mark those occasions. I still remember the first time we won, that feeling doesn’t go away.”

Phillip notes:

“The show has been running a very long time and it’s as relevant now – more so, possibly – than it ever has been. We’ve been through hell over two years together, so it’s amazing that we are still getting nominated even. The viewers’ votes are always the biggest ones because you don’t get a bigger seal of approval than winning a viewers vote. Those are the big ones, always.”

Phillip and Holly return to This Morning from Monday 5th September at 10am on ITV.