Alison Hammond shows support for Phillip Schofield amid rumours of return to ITV and This Morning

Alison Hammond seems to be supporting Phillip Schofield following rumours that he might make a comeback to his previous hosting role. Schofield who was brought up in Newquay, where his mum still lives, had stepped down from ITV's This Morning in May 2023 after a shocking revelation of an "unwise, but not illegal" relationship with a former younger colleague.

He admitted that he had lied to his bosses and family about the relationship, which left his career in tatters while the daytime show was plunged into scandal. After a one-year hiatus from social media, the ex-host of Dancing on Ice, aged 62, made a comeback on his platform last month, sharing photos of his pet dog Alfie.

On Sunday, June 9, the star posted another picture of his furry friend from his living room, joking: "Not sure where rug ends and Alfie begins!!" His funny post quickly attracted comments from his followers, notably, Alison Hammond, his past co-star from This Morning, gave his post a like.

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His post comes at a time when there have been reports of dwindling ratings for This Morning, with audiences tuning out since fan-favourites Phillip and Holly Willoughby left the show. In March, it was divulged that Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard would take over from the famed pair, but they're alleged to have "failed to connect with audiences."

The last two months have seen viewer numbers fall substantially, reportedly resulting in "crisis talks" among studio heads and job cuts across the network.

Viewing figures indicated a promising start, but interest has since waned. In May, peak viewing figures dipped to 589,000 with an average of 486,000, according to The Sun.

Speaking to the Mirror, a spokesperson for This Morning refuted these claims and said: "Ben and Cat have recorded the best audience reach of the year so far on This Morning with 4.5 million viewers across one week."

However, it's now suggested that Phillip's return could provide a much-needed boost to the programme. PR and crisis management expert Ed argued in The Mirror that Phil is set for a comeback soon.

He said: "Schofield has always proven himself to be popular. He's now proven himself to be flexible and disciplined. Attributes that will be absolutely crucial for the likes of ITV in the years ahead, and attributes that ITV showed a total lack of in the way that they handled the initial scandal. To put it simply: ITV needs Schofield a whole lot more than Schofield needs ITV."