This Morning received just 55 Ofcom complaints over Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield’s statement addressing the ‘queue jump’ scandal.
Despite a petition calling for Holly and Phil to be axed attracting more than 72,000 signatures, very few people actually called the TV watchdog with complaints.
On September 16, the presenters were reporting from the queen’s lying in-state at Westminster Hall, speaking to members of the public who had joined the 12 hour queue to pay their respects to Her Majesty who died aged 96 on September 8.
Holly and Phil were spotted walking past the crowds and were subsequently accused of queue-jumping, which was strenuously denied by ITV.
During their next This Morning appearance on September 20, the pair opened the programme by addressing the backlash.
Holly said over a clip featuring footage of their visit: ‘The rules were that we would be quickly escorted around the edges to a platform at the back. In contrast, those paying their respects walked along a carpeted area beside the coffin and were given time to pause.
‘None of the journalists and broadcasters there took anyone’s place in the queue and no one filed past the Queen.’
She continued: ‘We, of course, respected those rules, however, we realise that it may have looked like something else and therefore totally understand the reaction. Please know that we would never jump a queue.’
ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall has since insisted Holly and Phil were ‘misinterpreted’.
She also confirmed that ITV complained to companies such as Domino’s Pizza, which mocked the pair on social media.
‘We work with Domino’s and they said, “we think it is really funny, don’t you?”‘ she recalled.
‘They just thought that was funny. They didn’t think of the impact that would have on how people would pick it up and start meme-ing it.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted ITV for further comment on this story.
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV.
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