Featured Image Credit: GB News
Topics: Celebrity, Phillip Schofield, This Morning
Jess Hardiman
Philip Schofield has finally broken his silence on queue-gate after being hit with backlash for jumping the line to see the Queen lying in state following her death in early September. Watch what he had to say here:
Schofield and fellow This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby were heavily criticised for supposedly skipping the queue, with a petition to have the duo ‘axed’ from TV reaching more than 78,000 signatures.
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At the time, ITV claimed Schofield and Willoughby had ‘full accreditation’ as journalists, saying they had been asked to be a part of a film for a programme.
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"They did not jump the queue, have VIP access or file past the Queen lying in state – but instead were there in a professional capacity as part of the world’s media to report on the event,” the channel said.
But this didn’t satisfy some members of the general public, who argued they were not, in fact, there for work purposes, as nothing was ever broadcast from their visit.
GB News spoke to Schofield outside his home, asking if he felt ‘vindicated’.
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"I think that it was a shame that what happened, happened,” the TV star replied.
When asked if he also believed he had been ‘unfairly targeted’, Schofield said: “I think we were.”
The GB News journalist pointed out how the pair were ‘never accredited’ as their names were down under their editor’s name.
"We were,” Schofield hit back.
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“Because we didn’t want to give our email addresses away.”
He was then told that he had never actually apologised or ‘owned the situation’, to which the presenter said: “Why would I apologise? You’ve already seen that 700 other journalists did exactly the same thing.”
Schofield also explained how people ‘weren’t allowed to film inside’ when challenged about how nothing was ever broadcast to prove he and Willoughby were there in a journalistic capacity.
Willoughby had previously addressed the backlash in the voiceover of a segment on This Morning, saying in a statement earlier this year that they had been given ‘official permission to access the hall’, like other ‘accredited broadcasters and journalists’.
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"It was strictly for the purpose of reporting on the event for millions of people in the UK who haven't been able to visit Westminster in person,” she said.
"The rules were we would be quickly escorted around the edges to a platform at the back.
"In contrast, those paying respects walked along a carpeted area beside the coffin, and were given time to pause.
"None of the broadcasters or journalists there took anyone's place in the queue and no one filed past the Queen.
"We of course respected those rules, however we realised that it may have looked like something else and therefore totally understand the reaction."
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The TV presenter added: "Please know that we would never jump the queue."