Fern Britton has revisited one of the most talked-about chapters in modern British daytime television, opening up about her difficult exit from This Morning and the lasting questions around her fallout with former co-host Phillip Schofield.
The presenter, who fronted the ITV daytime show alongside Phillip for seven years, left the programme in 2009 after what became a heavily scrutinised period behind the scenes. At the time, viewers were left wondering what had really happened between one of TVâs most familiar presenting partnerships.
Fern has now described that departure as both difficult and upsetting, while making clear that she still does not want to go into every detail of the day she decided she had to walk away.
Speaking in a new interview, Fern suggested that her decision came suddenly, saying it was a moment that changed quickly and made her realise she needed to leave. Her careful words have once again brought attention back to the long-running speculation surrounding her relationship with Phillip and the atmosphere at This Morning during that period.
Fern Britton reflected on her ‘difficult and upsetting’ exit from This Morning in 2009 and a huge fallout with former co-host Phillip Schofield
Fern and Phillip presented This Morning together from 2002 until 2009, becoming one of the showâs best-known on-screen pairings. But after Fernâs departure, Holly Willoughby stepped into the role and went on to form a new presenting partnership with Phillip that dominated ITV daytime television for years.
At the time of Fernâs exit, reports claimed there had been tension over pay and profile, with suggestions she had grown tired of living in Phillipâs shadow. Fern later confirmed in a 2013 interview that she and Phillip were no longer in touch, fuelling further public interest in what had happened between them.
Now, years later, Fern has addressed the subject again with a tone that feels more reflective than bitter. Asked about Phillipâs later departure from This Morning and the scandal that followed, she admitted the situation brought mixed emotions.
Phillip stepped down from This Morning and later left his wider ITV projects after admitting to what he described as an âunwise but not illegalâ affair with a younger male colleague who had worked on the show. His television career was thrown into crisis, and the fallout also placed ITVâs daytime culture under intense scrutiny.
Fern did not celebrate his downfall. Instead, she said that their working relationship had once been very good before it became difficult, adding that she wished him well and hoped things would settle down so he could find some happiness.
The pair presented This Morning together for seven years from 2002 until 2009 when Fern departed the programme and was replaced by Holly Willoughby
Those comments have struck a softer note in a story often framed as one of TVâs frostiest feuds. While Fern did not offer a full explanation for the rift, her remarks suggest a complicated history rather than a simple case of rivalry or resentment.
Phillipâs exit from ITV also affected Holly Willoughby, who said at the time that she felt hurt after learning that he had lied about the relationship. Holly herself later stepped away from This Morning after 14 years, following a terrifying threat that led her to take time out of the spotlight.
Since leaving This Morning, Fern has built a new chapter away from the sofa. She has become a successful author, publishing several Sunday Times bestselling novels, and has appeared across a range of television projects including Fern Britton Meets, The Big Allotment Challenge and The Watercolour Challenge.
She also returned to reality TV with an appearance on Celebrity Big Brother in 2024, reminding audiences of the warm, direct and quietly resilient presence that first made her a household name.
Away from work, Fern has also faced personal change. In 2020, she announced that she had unexpectedly split from her husband of 20 years, chef and TV presenter Phil Vickery. She later described entering a new phase of life, no longer married and with her children grown up.
Fern has spoken openly about learning to look after herself physically and mentally, saying she reached a point where she realised she needed to make changes. She has since embraced gentle fitness, yoga and the Couch to 5k app, even while managing arthritis in one knee and preparing for a shoulder replacement.
Her latest reflections show a woman who has lived through public scrutiny, private upheaval and professional reinvention â but who appears determined to look forward rather than be defined by old wounds.
For fans of This Morning, her comments are a reminder of just how much the show has changed since the days when Fern and Phillip sat side by side. What was once one of ITVâs safest and most familiar pairings is now part of a much larger story about fame, friendship, power and the pressures behind polished daytime television.
Fern may still be holding back the full story of why she left, but her message about Phillip suggests something more measured than revenge. After years of silence, speculation and headlines, she seems to be choosing distance, dignity and a little compassion.
