Eamonn Holmes enjoys joke about Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield over 'Queue-gate'

Eamonn Holmes has enjoyed several jokes at the expense of Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield in the wake of 'Queue-gate'.

The This Morning stars have denied claims they jumped the queue to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state as a petition to have them axed from TV attracted more than 37,000 signatures.

Holmes, 62, has responded to a meme on Twitter showing himself and wife Ruth Langsford entering a room captioned: "When you reach the front of the queue."

The user had added: "I always preferred @EamonnHolmes and @RuthieeL #ThisMorning."

Watch: Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield make statement on 'queue jumping'

Holmes replied: "Ha ha .... Nice one," as well as a string of hands together thank you emojis.

Read more: Eamonn Holmes blasts 'sly' ITV for the way it handled his 'This Morning' departure

The TV presenter was let go from This Morning earlier this year after guest hosting the ITV daytime show on and off since 2006.

Holmes now presents Breakfast with Eamonn and Isabel alongside Isabel Webster on GB News.

While hosting coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral on Monday, Webster introduced a guest "who suffered that queue and they were not of any insignificant age, we’ll be talking to them after this…"

Holmes quipped: "What, Holly and Phillip?"

Read more: Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield break silence over 'queue jumping' accusations

Willoughby and Schofield have now issued a statement insisting they attended Westminster Hall "strictly for the purpose of reporting on the event".

Video footage showed dressed in black and wearing official lanyards as they were ushered through Westminster Hall — where the late Queen's coffin lay ahead of her funeral — while others queues for hours, sometimes through the night, to pay their respects.

Watch: Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield attend the Lying In State ceremony

Willoughby said in a statement on the show: "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.

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

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

ITV said previously in a statement on social media: “We would like to clarify something. We asked Phillip and Holly to be part of a film for this Tuesday’s programme.

“They did not jump the queue, have VIP access or file past the Queen lying in state – but instead were there in a professional capacity as part of the world’s media to report on the event.”

Read more: Celebrities who queued to see the Queen from David Beckham to Susanna Reid

Former England captain David Beckham and Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid were among the famous faces who waited several hours to see the Queen lying in state.