Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby to 'rebuild bond' following court outcome

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were once the golden duo of daytime television. However, their bond was left in ruins after Phillip, 62, departed from the ITV daytime programme last May.

The decision for him to step down followed his admission of an 'unwise but not illegal' affair with a younger male worker on the show. However, it's believed the two could be 'building bridges' following Holly's successful court verdict, reports the Mirror.

Gavin Plumb, 37, has been found guilty of masterminding “graphic” plans to kidnap, rape and murder the TV presenter in court proceedings, as they returned their verdict.

The security guard developed an “obsession” with the former This Morning star over a number of years and assembled an “abduction kit” – complete with handcuffs and metal cable ties – to help carry out his attack.

The jury took 12 hours and 19 minutes to unanimously convict him of soliciting murder and inciting rape and kidnap. As the verdicts were returned, Plumb broke down in tears as he was convicted. His sentencing is scheduled to return to at Chelmsford Crown Court for Friday, July 12.

The rift between Holly and Phillip reportedly started when they faced backlash for allegedly skipping the queue while the late Queen lay in state. As speculation about a falling out intensified and chatter suggested Holly desired to present This Morning solo, Phillip stepped back.

The situation worsened when Phillip acknowledged his infidelity and Holly, 43, expressed her "hurt" over Phillip's "lies" in a statement. In a revealing interview with the BBC, Phillip discussed his final message to Holly before their relationship broke down.

He said: "The last time we had a conversation was when I texted Holly and said, 'Don't reply' this was after the statement last week 'Don't reply, you're probably not allowed to, but I am deeply deeply sorry that I lied to you. And I am."

He also confided to The Sun that the affair "was the one secret in our sanctuary that was never mentioned", confessing that he had "lost my best friend."

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Addressing the speculation that the mother of three was aware of the affair, Schofield clarified: "Holly did not know. And she was one of the first texts that I sent, to say, 'I am so, so sorry that I lied to you'. She didn't reply and I understand why she didn't reply, as well. So yeah. If anyone is in any way linking Holly to this; that is absolutely, wholly untrue."

After facing several challenging months, Holly made the decision to leave This Morning in October 2023, expressing her gratitude with the words: "To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so, so much. This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we've done together."

Holly's departure from This Morning, following the chilling discovery of a plot to kidnap and murder her, reportedly gave ITV staff a 'sigh of relief'. An insider revealed to The Sun: "It felt like finally, they can get some normality back at work, having spent the last 12 months with morale at its lowest in years. The staff all still believe in This Morning and are rooting for its success."

Despite stepping down to focus on her family, Holly has been grappling with the emotional aftermath of Phil's exit from ITV five months prior. The duo, who presented together for 14 years, shared a close bond beyond the studio, even holidaying together with their families. Holly was also a pillar of support for Phil during his public coming out in 2020.

According to The Daily Mail, an insider claimed that Holly "she never got over it" and "misses" her former co-host deeply. They remarked: "You wonder if she regrets the fallout look at everything that has happened as a result. It's really sad."

In the wake of the terrifying kidnap and murder scheme aimed at Holly, it emerged that the presenters had attempted to mend their strained relationship. Reports suggest that Phil reached out to Holly, appalled by the threat against her, and Holly was reportedly "really happy" to reconnect with him.

"Phil's decision to reach out, and the welcome it has been received with by Holly, shows that there is still a bond there," an insider revealed to the Mirror. They continued: "The hope is they can regain some of the ground lost, and support each other again."

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