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
All-girl K-pop powerhouse aespa book MASSIVE Manchester arena show
Danny Jones
All-girl K-pop group, ‘aespa’, are coming to Manchester for some of their largest performances to date as part of a new global tour.
If you know anything about the K-pop scene, you’ll know that most acts are even bigger than you could ever imagine.
Manchester has gained a steady supply of gigs from artists within the genre over the past year or so, and now aespa are the latest to book the AO Arena for a headline show.
Rest assured, these tickets will fly…
aespa SYNK : COMPLæXITY
Catch the LIVE TOUR in Manchester at @AOArena on Thu 14th January 2027!
Register by [Wed 29 Apr at 6AM PT / 8PM CT / 9AM ET] for access to the artist presale: https://t.co/JuWFFMCE8Q
Dubbed the ‘SYNK : Complæxity World Tour’, this follows on from their last live iteration, ‘æXIS LINE’ shows, which began back in August 2025 and, technically, have only just ended this April.
As per an official press release, “Produced by Live Nation, the tour will bring aespa’s acclaimed live production and immersive performance experience to arenas across Asia, North America, Latin America, the UK, and Europe.”
There are actually just two shows in the entirety of Britain (the other being down in the capital), and Manchester has the good fortune of kicking off not only being the first of both, but the inaugural date of the entire European leg.
Consider us honoured.
Made up of a talented quartet – Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning, the rising South Korean stars – this female-led phenomenon is arguably one of the fastest rising acts in the world of K-pop.
Having now been to a couple of these shows for ourselves, we’re starting to understand that these artists might have some of the most passionate followings on the planet.
Kicking off the latest run of performances back in their home country’s capital of Seoul, they’ll hit multiple continents before wrapping things up in Paris.
aespa EU tour dates 2027
14 January – AO Arena, Manchester
16 Jan – London
19 Jan – Amsterdam
22 Jan – Stockholm
24 Jan – Copenhagen
26 Jan – Berlin
29 Jan – Milan
31 Jan – Barcelona
2 February – Paris
If you’re a fan or are interested in throwing your hat in the ring for a first K-pop gig experience, you can register by signing up for their exclusive pre-sale window.
As for general admission, tickets to see aespa at the AO Arena in Manchester will go live at 3pm on Wednesday, 6 May; you can get ready to grab yours HERE.
BBC’s Football Focus to end after more than half a century
Danny Jones
In a fairly shocking bit of broadcasting news, Football Focus is ending after more than half a century on our screens.
Announced on Thursday, 23 April, the once flagship show and weekly TV guide staple for countless British households is set to be cancelled after 52 seasons’ worth of coverage.
With BBC Sport confirming the tough decision in a lengthy statement, the long-running show will be taken off the air at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
Most programmes like these have seen declining audiences across the board in the era of streaming and digital packages across various platforms, but this is truly the end of an era.
An incredible 52-year journey comes to an end.
Following extensive consideration, BBC Sport has made the difficult decision to say goodbye to Football Focus at the end of this season.
First broadcast in 1974, Football Focus is a testament to the brilliant team who have… pic.twitter.com/bmHQqQdf6J
An official social media post reads: “An incredible 52-year journey comes to an end. Following extensive consideration, BBC Sport has made the difficult decision to say goodbye to Football Focus at the end of this season. “First broadcast in 1974, Football Focus is a testament to the brilliant team who have worked on it over the years and, of course, the audience. The programme has been a staple of the BBC’s football coverage for decades, providing fans with interviews, analysis and stories from across the game ahead of the weekend’s fixtures.
“But changing audience behaviours mean fans are now increasingly consuming football content in different ways, and we need to respond appropriately as we face difficult decisions around how the licence fee is spent.”
Second only really to Match of the Day (MotD), which first began a whole decade prior to its once equally popular spin-off, Gary Lineker, Manish Bhasin, Alex Scott and others have all enjoyed varying periods hosting the regular weekend watch.
While even MotD has seen steadily dipping viewing figures, not just following the Lineker departure/saga, but ever since YouTube highlights and the social media era.
The statement goes on to say: “Fans are accessing discussion, highlights, analysis and news through digital platforms and on-demand viewing, and as viewing habits continue to evolve, it is right that BBC Sport adapts how it brings football coverage to the widest audiences across television, radio, online and to its extensive social platforms. BBC Sport boasts a strong football rights portfolio and is set to significantly expand its digital output this year, growing content across BBC platforms, as well as a bold new slate of exclusive shows on YouTube.
“Featuring fresh formats, big personalities and more frequent, always-on content tailored for digital audiences, the expansion will bring fans closer to the game than ever before, delivering more high-quality, accessible and engaging football coverage at scale. We will release further details on these plans in the coming months.”
Will you miss it? Perhaps more to the point, do you still watch Match of the Day, Soccer Saturday and the like on terrestrial telly?
Emily Sergeant -
22nd May 2023 
