Ant Middleton defends Holly and Phil 'jumping queue' as he brands celebs 'disadvantaged'

Phillip Schofield, 60, and Holly Willoughby, 41, were "foolish" to think they wouldn't receive backlash about skipping the regular queue to see the Queen's coffin.The This Morning pair sparked uproar after they were seen being escorted to a different area past other mourners at Westminster Hall.The presenters were given media accreditation to film for the show like other broadcasters, however their actions left many angry.Graham Norton, 59, has now said he was offered to skip the regular queue by an MP, but refused to do so as he feared backlash.The host explained that there was a two-tier system for the occasion and not just one queue for everybody.He added: "You could queue jump! Yeah. Now I got offered a queue jump ticket by a friend of mine – he’s an MP and he said, 'do you wanna come?'James Whale demands This Morning shake-up amid Holly & Phil queue row"And I didn’t say yes – because I thought if anybody sees me I’ll get it in the neck."He went on to say that Phil and Holly may have assumed people "wouldn't care" about their actions."I guess that that’s their crime," he added to Nihal Arthanayak on Radio 5 Live on Monday."The actual queue jumping? They did nothing wrong.

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield following queue-gate while also revealing he turned down an offer to skip ahead to see the Queen lying in state.This Morning presenters Willoughby and Schofield have been at the centre of controversy after they appeared in Westminster Hall earlier this month to see the late monarch’s coffin, without taking part in the public line.The pair later addressed the backlash in a statement and stressed they had ‘respected’ the rules set for the media. Speaking to Nihal Arthanayake on his BBC Radio 5 Live programme on Monday, Norton stated that Willoughby and Schofield did ‘nothing wrong’ while talking about the impact of optics from a PR perspective.Arthanayake asked: ‘You do read the room, right? You’d be very good at that. Without question, you would go: “What are the optics of this?”’Norton replied: ‘Erm.

THIS Morning hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield left a jilted bride in tears today when they surprised her with a honeymoon. Holly hugged brave Kayley Stead, 27, after she told how her fiance left her at the altar but she carried on with her wedding day. Brave Kayley told the show how she and her bridesmaids continued with her big day after guests agreed to stay and celebrate with her rather than allow it to all go to waste.

Eamonn Holmes has taken multiple swipes at Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield over recent weeks, after they were criticised for allegedly 'skipping' the queue at the Queen's lying-in-state. GB News star Eamonn, 62, has made his opinion on the matter known and has branded the This Morning presenters "liars" and "arrogant". As he presented GB News alongside his co-anchor Isobel Webster recently, Eamonn weighed in on the queueing scandal, saying: “I’ll tell you what’s strategic.

Holly Willoughby’s famous friends have flocked to social media after the morning talk show host returned to Instagram following what is now being referred to as queue-gate. Queen Elizabeth’s funeral and Lying-in-State saw thousands queue for hours on end in the hopes of paying their respects to the longest-serving British monarch.

LOOSE Women star Janet Street-Porter broke ranks today and aimed what fans said was a "sly dig" at Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield. She spoke about an imaginary dream where she had VIP status at an event and got in without queuing.

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield delighted a jilted bride with £2,000 towards a holiday with her bridesmaids.

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield to apologise for "pushing in to the queue" while the Queen was lying-in-state, instead of making "pathetic excuses".The outspoken personality addressed the queue scandal while demanding a "proper apology" from the duo, calling for them to be replaced by Eamonn Holmes and his wife Ruth Langsford if they don't.The podcast host told how he is having "so much fun" watching the row unfold, as well as the way "This Morning are trying to justify their stars pushing into the queue to file past Her Majesty."He went on: "What an earth did Schofield and Willoughby think they were going to achieve when everything is filmed and on record?"James added that the notion of the duo calling themselves journalists had him "rolling around on the floor."The star went on to call for the return of the popular duo Eamonn and Ruth to make a return to the daytime ITV show if Holly and Phil don't "apologise properly".James continued: "This toothsome couple have promoted themselves as the perfect TV pairing and let's face it: from that lofty point you can only fall."I don't expect they'll lose their careers over this but maybe they could just try being straight with us, apologise properly and not attempt to get out of it with these pathetic excuses."Otherwise, bring back Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes."Frankly, I preferred them anyway," he wrote in his column for the Daily Express.The pair recently came under fire after being accused of jumping the queue to see the Queen lying in state.The presenters and ITV have since explained they held press accreditation as they were went to Westminster Hall for work.But now a source involved in the press list has claimed that Holly and Phil’s names were not actually on

This Morning host Holly Willoughby made a glamourous return to Instagram after "queue jumping" chaos.

HOLLY Willoughby was defended by fans today as she returned to Instagram to share her This Morning outfit. The 41-year-old presenter looked glamorous in a pink skirt and matching top from online retailer Ceffin and a pair of nude Office shoes.

This Morning fans were quick to share their thoughts as Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield turned the person who usually does the surprising into the one being surprised as they pulled a trick on Alison Hammond.

Holly Willoughby has been left "shaken" by the "queue jumping" row she has found herself embroiled with alongside This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield because she is "used to being the darling of TV," a source has claimed.The 41 year old and Phillip, 60, have been accused of jumping the queue to visit The Queen while she was lying in state following her death earlier this month. Holly denied that she and Phillip had cut the queue in a VT for the hit ITV show they present together, while the programme also issued a statement saying the pair were they for work purposes.

Holly Willoughby looked like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders as she stepped out in London last week. She appeared lost in thought as she looked at her phone, perhaps still absorbing the backlash she and her This Morning co-star Phillip Schofield have faced following claims they jumped the queue to see the Queen lying in state.

"The way in which the online attack on them, as a human being to have that, I just think is really damaging."She furthered that it was important for parliament to legislate on the issue of online abuse.When asked for her message to social media firms, she added: "It's your gaff, sort it out, you have responsibility to do that."Angela continued: "They've tried to self-regulate, they've tried to say 'we'll look after you'. “They haven't, they've not been able to do it and now it's time for us to legislate."It comes after news that the two GMB presenters were accused of skipping the queue while waiting to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II two weeks ago. ITV and the hosts themselves have since stepped in to defend themselves. Both argued they were present to film a segment for the This Morning show. On Friday's This Morning, fans were thrilled to see the return of Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary.However, as the duo welcomed viewers to the programme, many took to social media calling for Dermot and Alison to permanently replace Holly and Phillip.Liam Hunt penned on Twitter: “Only 5 minutes into today's #ThisMorning and it’s already better than all the other shows this week. “We need Alison and Dermot to replace those other two!" (sic)@UkTV_Forever tweeted: “#ThisMorning Thank God we have The original presenters today."@Lakky1 added: “#thismorning totally different feel today - MUCH better presenters!"“What a difference compared to the last 3 days #ThisMorning," Diane K praised.While user @Susanna46590017 commented: “Love a Friday on the programme and today my favourite presenters Alison and Dermot.

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby might get booed at this year's National Television Awards.Following the queue jump claims that have circled them for more than a week, The This Morning hosts continue to face backlash. And now the bosses of the TV channel they both work for are fearing they might get booed at a glitzy awards ceremony next month.

HOLLY Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have been accused of "ushering a disabled woman away" as they "dodged" the queue to see the Queen lying-in-state - after being left OFF the official guest list. The family of a woman in a wheelchair claim she was "moved aside to make way for the pair" as they arrived at Westminster Hall last week. Mia Froggatt furiously slammed the This Morning presenters as the Queue-gate row rumbles on.

Holly Willoughby has taken to Instagram to show support for her ITV colleague as she made her dancefloor debut on Strictly Come Dancing. On Friday This Morning presenter Holly broke her silence on social media, following the row over the queue to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, to congratulate her friend Lisa Snowdon on being crowned winner of Celebrity MasterChef.

Holly Willoughby took to Instagram on Sunday with a message of hope, and her followers were quick to respond.The star's Wylde Moon account posted an image of a sliver of moon with a message underneath.MORE: Holly Willoughby 'distraught' over queue controversy, says 'good friend' Piers MorganIt read: "With the turn of the seasons, we welcome the New Moon in Libra and the opportunity it brings to redress the balance and restore equilibrium in our lives."It went on: "Breed. Connect.

ITV have shut down reports Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield were not on official Westminster list to see Queen lying-in-state as part of the world's media. This comes after The Mail on Sunday claimed that the This Morning presenters were not on the list and instead it was the names of the production team that were used to help them gain access.