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Phillip Schofield branded 'arch manipulator' in thick of Amanda Holden feud

This Morning presenters Phillip Schofield and Fern Britton arrive for the Britsh Soap Awards at BBC TV Centre in west London. Hosted by Paul O'Grady, the show will be broadcast on ITV1.
Phillip Schofield and Fern Britton presented 'This Morning' together for seven years until 2009 (Credit: PA)

Phillip Schofield has been branded an “arch manipulator” with a “stranglehold” over This Morning.

The 57-year-old former children’s TV presenter took over co-hosting the ITV daytime show with Fern Britton in 2002, but their working relationship broke down and Britton was replaced by Holly Willoughby in 2009.

Britton's former agent Jon Roseman told The Daily Mail: "From day one he began to interfere with the editorial content of the show. Fern always left it to the editor, a mistake she attempted to rectify, but too late.

"His stranglehold was too tight by the time she recognised what he was up to. Their ability to work together was up there with the Eamonn Holmes/Anthea Turner friction.

Read more: Phillip Schofield's star pals rally support amidst Amanda Holden feud

"He befriended Simon Shaps, the then boss of the network centre. After this friendship, all bets were off ... he just got what he wanted."

Roseman called the Dancing On Ice presenter and “arch manipulator”.

Schofield is currently embroiled in a bitter feud with Amanda Holden, who is thought to have a bee in her bonnet after Schofield blocked her from joining him as guest co-host on This Morning will Willoughby was away in Australia filming I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

Schofield took to social media at the weekend to confess he had been upset by reports that have emerged claiming he is difficult to work with.

Meanwhile, Holden claims to have tried to call a truce.

Speaking on her radio breakfast show on Heart FM Holden told co-host Jamie Theakston: “I’ve moved on from it, Jamie, you need to move on from it.”

Read more: Amanda Holden claims Phillip Schofield ignored ‘olive branch’ coffee invitation

He replied: “You might have moved on but I just wanted to know, is there any more to the story?”

She said: “I did offer to meet him for a coffee months ago, he didn’t reply to my text. What can I say?”

Theakston said: “The olive branch had been extended,” to which she replied: “Oh yes.”

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