This Morning

I'd always thought the hate for Cilla came from the fact she was seen as a "professional scouser" and was a big Maggie Thatcher fan. I never met her but the few who have in my line of work weren't exactly glowing with praise. One called her disingenuous and cold.

There are so many 'behind the scenes' horror stories that you can't call it a coincidence. Didn't Popbitch hint that the reason you never saw her much post-2003 was because one of the top brass on the network had started out as a runner on Blind Date, and she'd been absolutely vile to them.

Still, Cilla was fair game on camera. When she did a stint in panto during the 80s -- I think it was Aladdin, she asked the audience how she should kill the baddie. A little boy heckled "sing to him Cilla!" She took it on the chin.

I think her former LWT stablemate said it best:



I believe the kids now call this a burn.

Then of course there was the time of Blind Date where she basically announced she was quitting at the end of the series live on air without telling the producers in advance!

I've heard something similar about Jim Davidson after he finished The Generation Game. Mind you, if the story about him getting punched while filming Home James is anything to go by, he was acting like a t**t way before he reached his prime.

I can confirm that Jane McDonald is lovely.

Was it Home James? I heard it was Up The Elephant And Round The Castle. Though I wouldn't be suprised if it happened more than once.

It could've been. As far as I'm concerned the two shows are interchangeable.

I think this may have been where the rumour started...

One episode of Up the Elephant and Round the Castle began with Jim Davidson being mugged. Davidson had made himself so unpopular with the crew that they had a whip-round and said to the young actor playing the mugger that they'd give him the lot if he actually hit Davidson.

— Louis Barfe (@AlanKelloggs) June 13, 2019

Indeed, Davidson ensured that the actor was blacklisted and never heard of again. I wonder what happened to David Thewlis?

— Louis Barfe (@AlanKelloggs) June 13, 2019

If it's true though, the actual punch never made it to air...


(The mugging is from about 25 seconds in.)

[Edit: just noticed the recent date on those tweets, so clearly not the original source]

Louis recounts this story on a yearly basis, so ignore the date, and enjoy the story..

There's more to that story. She did it because they had changed the format of Blind Date radically.

She was annoyed they didn't allow her to speak to the contestants for very long and she was much further away from them and they upped the pace of the show in general.

Blind date was declining in viewers so they decided to make those changes and Cilla quite rightly didn't agree with them.

When she resigned live she was in control and that was a rare opportunity for her so there was no better time to resign.

Selfish maybe - but I can understand her point of view.

There's still no proof. Let's take your "undeniable facts" in order:

Amanda Holden has gone on record with her allegations.
That doesn't equate to there being proof of any poor behaviour by Phillip Schofield.

The relationship between Fern Britton and Phillip clearly disintegrated towards the end of Fern's tenure.
Had it? Surely that's subjective. I certainly didn't think so. Also, that doesn't equate to there being proof of any poor behaviour by Phillip Schofield.

Fern and Phillip had a particularly acrimonious exchange on This Morning's 30th Birthday.
Fern's behaviour was certainly misjudged, as was later borne out. That doesn't equate to there being proof of any poor behaviour by Phillip Schofield. I think both Phillip and Holly handled themselves extremely well.

Fern's former agent has gone on record basically backing up Amanda Holden.
Doesn't he have form as regards slating people in the public eye? https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1293499/I-confronted-Fern-Britton-weight--arrested-Agent-friend-stars-recalls-snarls-saccharine-showbiz-smiles.html Also, that doesn't equate to there being proof of any poor behaviour by Phillip Schofield.

Veteran agent Mike Hollingsworth has gone on record claiming Phillip had a veto on the guests if he didn't like them.
Good for him. That doesn't equate to there being proof of any poor behaviour by Phillip Schofield.

And let's imagine it's true, even if it isn't, because it's extremely satisfying.