GB News presenter Stephen Dixon has said he has ‘rather enjoyed’ watching the Phillip Schofield ‘saga unravel’.
The journalist, who previously worked for Sky News for over two decades, now hosts Breakfast with Stephen and Anne on GB News.
Like many others, he’s now decided to weigh in on the drama going down on ITV’s This Morning after long-time presenter Phillip, 61, left the show following reports of a ‘fallout’ with co-host Holly Willoughby, 42.
Now Stephen, 49, has taken aim, saying that the presenter had a ‘well-known reputation in the TV industry’.
While he acknowledged he didn’t know ‘the man’, he did ‘know of his reputation in the industry, much of which has been reinforced of late by interviews doing the rounds’.
‘I’ve never been one of these “demanding” presenters. I’ve always just got on with the job and tried to be part of the team, so there’s something satisfying, a touch of Karma, when the big “egos” take a tumble,’ he wrote in an opinion piece published online.
However he said that he was worried now there was a ‘battle of the egos’ emerging, in which he said ‘everyone who thinks they should be the Godparent of British television trying to establish their position’.
‘They’re now even starting on Holly Willoughby. “What Holly wants, Holly gets” is the latest battle cry – what a disgraceful situation,’ he continued.
While he said he ‘didn’t disagree with the sentiment’ and that presenters should not be able to ‘demand every little thing’, he accused other presenters who were speaking out of double standards.
‘The people who are shouting from the hilltops about Mr. Schofield – and now that he’s gone, the “backstabber” Holly Willoughby are, to put it lightly, treading on thin ice,’ he said.
‘It’s a bit of cheek to complain about someone who has a reputation for treating a production crew badly if you behave the same way.
‘You can’t spend a career being nakedly ambitious and then criticise someone for being nakedly ambitious themselves.’
He added that it had been ‘fascinating to see this whole drama unfold’, but that ‘most of the ring-side commentary is driven is ego, jealousy and bitterness’.
‘Whatever happens for Phil and Holly moving forward, we really should wish them well,’ he continued.
‘This is an episode for them both filled with pain, upset and heartache and at the end of the day, like the rest of us, they’re only human.
‘Sadly, it’s presenters who often forget that.’
On Saturday ITV issued a statement announcing Phillip would be stepping down while Holly would remain, and that the pair already presented their last programme together.
Following the announcement, it was confirmed Phillip would go on to present a ‘new peak time series’, as well as the upcoming British Soap Awards next month.
Breakfast with Stephen and Anne airs Fridays to Sundays from 6am on GB News. This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV.
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