Eamonn Holmes claims Phillip Schofield was sacked in scathing rant against This Morning presenters

Former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes has claimed that Phillip Schofield was actually sacked from the show, rather than stepping down as claimed.

If you've somehow missed all the drama then let's get you up to speed - Schofield is off This Morning, the ITV breakfast show he presented for two decades, after saying in a statement that 'This Morning itself has become the story'.

He said over the weekend: "I understand that ITV has decided the current situation can’t go on, and I want to do what I can to protect the show that I love.

“So I have agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect, in the hope that the show can move forward to a bright future. I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me – especially This Morning’s amazing viewers – and I’ll see you all for the Soap Awards next month.”

Co-presenter Holly Willoughby acknowledged his departure in a statement of her own and it was confirmed Schofield will continue to work for ITV both on the Soap Awards and a 'brand new peak time series'.

However, former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes claimed that rather than stepping down, Schofield had instead been sacked.

ITV

He was discussing the matter on GB News, the broadcaster he now works for, with Isabel Webster when he tore into the situation.

Webster had mentioned 'the big announcement from Phillip Schofield that he was stepping down' which prompted Holmes to launch into a rant.

"Please, let's stop this, he was sacked," he interrupted, before also criticising Holly Willoughby.

"All this nonsense about, 'I've decided to step down' I'm sure you did. Now here's your P45, now step down. Why do we propagate this language?

"'I've decided to step down' and [Holly] says the couch won't feel the same without him people there. Well she wanted him not there, so why is she moaning about the couch not feeling the same for? They deserve each other."

It's not the first time the GB News presenter has torn into Schofield and Willoughby in recent days, as he claimed they should win an award for being the 'best actors' following their return to the This Morning sofa together.

ITV

An ITV source has since told LADbible that Holmes' claims that Schofield had been sacked from This Morning were not true and that the presenter had indeed stepped away.

Schofield had taken time away from the show after his brother Timothy was found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage boy over a three-year period, with the jury at the trial being told he had told Phillip about it.

While Phillip is not returning to This Morning, Holly will be back on people's screens on 5 June and according to ITV will co-present the show 'with members of the This Morning family'.

Fans are wondering what shows Schofield will continue to present and who will be Holly's next long-term co-presenter.

There was recently a very awkward moment in an episode of Family Fortunes where Schofield was a popular answer on the family quiz show, as contestants were asked to 'name someone who appears on the TV show This Morning' and Schofield was the second highest answer.