Viewers rushed to social media to share their shock as ITV aired an episode of Family Fortunes with a rather “awkward” This Morning-themed question.
In case you missed it, Phillip Schofield announced this past weekend that he was to step down from presenting the ITV daytime show, This Morning, with immediate effect after fronting the programme for the past 21 years.
The 61-year-old first took the presenting reins of the show back in 2002.
Alongside co-presenter Holly Willoughby, Schofield became a well-known face on daytime television and went on to win numerous awards for his presenting work over the past two decades – but in recent weeks, rumours began swirling within the media that his professional relationship and off-screen friendship with Willoughby has soured.
Schofield’s stepping down from the presenting role also comes after he had taken several weeks off-air recently – some as pre-planned leave, and some while his brother, Timothy Schofield, faced trial for sexual abuse against a teenage boy.
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Viewers in shock as ITV airs ‘awkward’ This Morning presenters question on Family Fortunes / Credit: ITV
So, as you can gather, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind few weeks for Schofield and This Morning – which is probably why viewers who tuned in to watch a scheduled episode of Family Fortunes yesterday evening were shocked to see contestants asked a question about This Morning presenters.
In typical Family Fortunes question style, host Gino D’Acampo asked the contestants to “name someone who appears on the TV show This Morning”.
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The coincidental (or not?) timing of the pre-filmed episode with that question in being aired seems to be what shocked viewers most though, as it’s probably not that shocking to find that the top two answers to the question where, of course, Phil and Holly.
And this irony didn’t go unnoticed on social media.
Oh god #FamilyFortunes on ITV just had the question “name somebody who regularly appears on the TV show This Morning.”
The top answers were Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
TV critic Scott Bryan said: “Oh god Family Fortunes on ITV just had the question ‘name somebody who regularly appears on the TV show This Morning.’ The top answers were Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.”
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Another viewer aptly called it “bad timing”.
“Unfortunate choice of Family Fortunes category tonight,” a third person said on Twitter, while a fourth added: “This is awkward. Family Fortunes got a question about This Morning, oh Lord and Philip Schofield is the spot prize…”
One viewer also questioned: “I wonder if Phillip Schofield is watching Family Fortunes right now?”
Question on #FamilyFortunes right now: "Name somebody who regularly appears on the TV show This Morning"
ITV couldn't have chosen a better weekend to air this episode if they tried! 😂 #ThisMorning
Addressing Schofield’s departure from This Morning, Kevin Lygo – Managing Director of Media and Entertainment at ITV – said in a statement over the weekend: “Phillip is hands down one of the best broadcasters of his generation and we thank him for his two decades worth of absolutely terrific television on the This Morning sofa.
“This Morning is made by one of the best and most diligent teams in television, who produce over 12 hours of live television each week.
“We look forward to continuing our relationship with Phillip starting with The British Soap Awards in June and a brand new peak time series to come.”
Featured Image – ITV
TV & Showbiz
BBC is casting for next series of The Traitors and wants Mancs who are ‘good at lying’ to apply
Emily Sergeant
The BBC is currently casting for the next series of The Traitors, and is looking for some deceptive Mancs to take part.
The Traitors is pretty much a cultural phenomenon at this point, let’s be honest.
Producers describe it as a ‘game of trust and treachery’, and there’s always plenty of twists, turns, shocks, and surprises along the way – but do you reckon you’ve got what it takes to play? If so, the BBC is currently casting for the next series of the popular show, and is calling on people in Greater Manchester and across the UK to apply.
Applications are currently open to ‘fun, smart, and strategic players’ who are over 18 years of age and have the right to legally reside in the UK.
The first series of the smash-hit BBC reality competition show proved pretty popular when it premiered back in 2022, but the second series took things to a whole new level, and truly seemed to capture the attentions of the nation like no other – with millions of viewers tuning in to watch the three episodes each week.
Currently, you may be one of the millions watching The Celebrity Traitors, which airs each week on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
But in case you haven’t seen it, The Traitors is, put simply, a competition series that’s built on strategy, suspicion, and deception, where a team of players are tasked with competing in a series of missions – with the more missions they complete successfully, the bigger the prize pot gets.
However, hidden among the players are the ‘Traitors’, who meet in secret and decide who to eliminate from their fellow players known as the ‘Faithfuls’.
The aim for the ‘Traitors’ is to stay undetected until the end, while the aim for the ‘Faithfuls’ is to banish all of the Traitors before the game ends.
Up for it? You have until 31 May 2026 to get your applications in online here.
Featured Image – BBC / Studio Lambert Assossiates
TV & Showbiz
A first look into the highly-anticipated TV soap crossover ‘Corriedale’ has just dropped
Thomas Melia
The wait is nearly over for TV soap fans, as producers behind the highly-anticipated ‘Corriedale’ crossover have just dropped an exclusive first look.
Whether you’re team Coronation Streetor team Emmerdale, this show has all areas covered as it merges both the iconic TV soaps into an hour-long special.
Now, it feels like Christmas has come early as pictures of two very distinctive cast members smiling next to each other while filming the crossover episode have been released.
In the newly-released images we can see Vicky Myers, known for playing the assertive and dedicated DS Lisa Swain, representing the Manchester-based production Coronation Street.
Vicky Myers (DS Lisa Swain) and Danny Miller (Aaron Dingle) pictured together ahead of upcoming TV soap crossover Corriedale / Credit: ITV Press Centre (Supplied)
Stood by her side is Danny Miller known for his role as the complex and vulnerable Aaron Dingle in Leeds-based hit soap Emmerdale.
Both can be seen on-set and are pictured in front of a white trailer filming for the upcoming Corriedale special.
Although the shows are set just a one hour’s drive away from each other, separated by The Pennines, this soap special marks the first time that characters from each drama will have ever crossed paths.
Most details for this soap crossover are being kept very tight-lipped although filming kicked off in September with this latest update marking the first-ever major cast announcement for Corriedale.
ITV Executive Producer for Continuing Drama Iain Macleod said: “It’s beyond exciting that filming is under way on Corriedale.
“There is a massive buzz around both the Leeds and Manchester sites and the images coming out of the shoot are utterly spectacular. And that’s before we’ve even got to all the brilliant transpennine interactions between characters from the different shows!
“As a soap fan myself, I think my head is going to explode when the episode airs next year. It will be mind-blowing, historical and unmissable.”
Corriedale is coming to our TV screens in early 2026 and heralds the start of a new soap power hour with 30 minute episodes of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale to air every weekday.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd May 2023 
