This Morning has seen a surge in viewing figures, despite speculation swirling regarding the future of the show and the notable absence of both Holly Willoughby and long-term co-host Phillip Schofield. Holly is on a planned break over the half-term break, whilst Phillip announced his permanent departure from the show over a week ago on May 20, after rumours emerged that he and Willoughby’s friendship was ‘under strain’. Since then, the show has been largely fronted by Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond, who have proven to be a popular duo. On Monday, May 29, the Daily Mail reported that a total of 797,000 people tuned in to watch Monday’s episode, peaking at 996,000. It was a significant jump from the 703,000 viewers who tuned in to the show on Monday, May 22, and an even more significant rise from viewers who saw Schofield’s last ever show on This Morning, which was 644,000 on Thursday, May 18. The show on Monday that peaked at almost one million viewers was the first after Schofield admitted to an affair with a younger man at ITV. He made the revelation on Friday, after days of speculation. On Friday, he said: "I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning. Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over."
