Phillip Schofield defends Eamonn Holmes after hot tub joke backlash

Rebecca Speare-Cole8 February 2020
The Weekender

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Phillip Schofield has come out in defence of Eamonn Holmes after he was criticised over a hot tub joke after his fellow presenter announced he was gay.

Holmes made a joke about Holly Willoughby sharing a hot tub with Schofield as he vowed to "stand beside" the presenter after he shared his news.

In an emotional interview with Willoughby on This Morning, Schofield, who has been married for 27 years and has two daughters, spoke of coming to terms with being gay.

The pair were later joined by Holmes and wife Ruth Langsford, who present the Friday show.

Phillip Schofield - In pictures

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Holmes said to Schofield: "there is this great imponderable in life that has always bothered me, I thought how come he can sit in a hot tub with Holly Willoughby and Steph doesn't have a problem and Dan (Holly’s husband) doesn't have a problem."

But he was faced with an onslaught of criticism, with people calling the joke "sleazy" and "disgusting".

However, Schofield came out in defence of Holmes saying: "Can I just say that @EamonnHolmes & @RuthieeL were utterly magnificent with me today, privately downstairs just the three of us and upstairs in front of the world. I couldn’t have hoped for a better, calming and loving set of hugs and support, I adore them both.

"..and for the record, @EamonnHolmes made me laugh, he lightened a very emotional moment and I’m very happy that he did."

Holmes also posted following the criticism.

On Twitter, shared a picture of him and Schofield embracing and said: "A picture paints a thousand words. This is a man who was in pain , who today confided in Ruth and I and who knows we stand in support of him, his family and his sexuality .... Also unlike some, he appreciated a laugh to break the tension."

Others on social media praised the joke saying it "lifted the mood".

One person wrote: “Eamonn Holmes lifting the mood perfectly- saying he always wondered how Phillip got away with getting in a hot tub with Holly and their partners not kicking off”.

Another added: “Nothing but respect to @EamonnHolmes for this message to Phil of support. @thismorning is an emotional one today."

“There's nothing wrong with making a joke in the right setting, especially if it is well received, and it was," another wrote.

One said: “I thought that was hilarious, coming out as should be treated as a everyday natural thing, so eamonn acting normal and having friendly banter with his friends is the perfect reaction”.

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