Holly Willoughby defends her friendship with Phillip Schofield following 'fake' claims

Holly Willoughby has defended herself and Phillip Schofield from allegations that they aren't as genuine as they appear.

Her comments come after former Dancing On Ice judge Jason Gardiner branded the pair "fake" as he claimed they hadn't contacted him after he left the show.

The mother-of-three has said there is "nothing to defend" because they remain true to themselves and their friendship is real.

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"We ring each other and talk to each other all the time anyway, about this and other things," the 38-year-old told Closer magazine.

"We know what we're like. It would be impossible for us to fake the giggles. I'm on the telly for two and a half hours - let me tell you, I'm not that good an actress. If I was, I'd be doing something else."

The pair are known to be close friends outside of their work presenting This Morning and Dancing On Ice, even holidaying together along with their families.

Last year, it was claimed that Ruth Langsford had complained about Schofield to ITV bosses.

ITV has vehemently denied any rumours about the silver-haired host upsetting other presenters, with a spokesperson saying: “This is absolutely not a description of This Morning that we recognise.”

However, following on from the National Television Award's last week, Piers Morgan suggested that there had been an awkward exchange between the two when This Morning collected the prize for Best Live Magazine Show.

Schofield gave a speech after picking up the gong before inviting Friday hosts Langsford and Eamonn Holmes to speak too.

Langsford smiled before taking the mic, but Morgan observed: “I think Ruth’s grin… How awks was that!”