‘We would never jump a queue’: Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby address furore on This Morning

Willoughby said that pair could ‘totally understand the reaction’ to their visit to Westminster Hall

Holly Willoughby has said that she and Phillip Schofield “would never jump a queue” as she addressed the public backlash to their visit to see Queen Elizabeth II lying-in-state.

Last week, the This Morning presenters appeared inside Westminster Hall to visit the Queen’s coffin before her funeral on Monday (19 September).

Having been given access to a separate line for media while thousands of mourners waited for hours, the pair were accused of “skipping the queue”.

ITV denied this allegation, however, with the producers releasing a statement reading: “They did not jump the queue, have VIP access or file past the Queen lying in state – but instead were there in a professional capacity as part of the world’s media to report on the event.”

As the ITV daytime programme returned on Tuesday (20 September), a compilation was shown of the 11 days since the monarch’s death and This Morning’s subsequent coverage.

While reports had suggested that ITV bosses were undecided as to whether to show footage from the Queen’s lying-in-state due to the public response, it did feature on Tuesday’s show.

Schofield and Willoughby were shown speaking to mourners in the queue and watching a man paint the scene at Westminster Hall on canvas.

In a voiceover, Willougby then explained that as members of the media, they had been given “official permission” to see the coffin “strictly for the purpose of reporting on the event for millions of people in the UK who haven’t been able to visit Westminster in person”.

The Queen lying-in-state at Westminster Hall (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

“Like hundreds of accredited broadcasters and journalists, we were given official permission to access the hall,” she said.

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“The rules were that we would be quickly escorted around the edges to a platform at the back. In contrast, those paying respects walked along a carpeted area beside the coffin and were given time to pause.”

Willoughby continued: “None of the broadcasters and journalists there took anyone’s place in the queue and no one filed past the Queen.”

While she said that she and Schofield “respected those rules”, Willoughby explained: “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,” she concluded.

15,000 people have signed a petition calling for the pair to be axed for their perceived ‘queue-jumping' (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

The comments come as 15,000 people signed a Change.org petition calling on ITV to “axe” Willoughby and Schofield for “pushing past those thousands [in the queue] and getting immediate access” to Westminster Hall.

While some members of the media were given access to a special platform to see the coffin, many famous figures still queued to see the Queen lying-in-state.

Ahead of the funeral, BBC News presenter Huw Edwards subtly took aim at those who “jumped the queue” as he praised David Beckham for waiting in line for 12 hours after reportedly turned down the chance to use a special access queue.

“We did of course see a certain David Beckham there on Friday. He was widely praised for queueing for hours and hours, not jumping the queue because he’s a superstar VIP,” Edwards said.

“No, he was in the queue for many hours and good for him.”