London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield deny skipping Queen queue

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield deny skipping Queen queue

This Morning host Holly Willoughby has said "we would never jump a queue" after being accused of skipping the line for the Queen's lying-in-state.

The ITV presenter and her co-host Phillip Schofield were accused online of avoiding the wait to file past the Queen's coffin in Westminster Hall.

People stood for many hours in a line that stretched miles across London.

In a special This Morning programme on the Queen, Willoughby said their visit was "strictly for reporting".

The social media backlash came after the presenters were spotted on Friday on a live feed that streamed the lying-in-state at Westminster Hall.

Speaking on Tuesday morning during a segment recapping events since the Queen's death, Willoughby said she and her co-host were accredited as broadcasters to be able to enter the hall.

She said: "Like hundreds of accredited broadcasters and journalists we were given official permission to access the hall.

"It was strictly for the purpose of reporting on the event for millions of people in the UK who have not been able to visit Westminster in person.

"The rules were that we would be quickly escorted around the edges to a platform at the back.

"In contrast, those paying respect walked along a carpeted area beside the coffin and were given time to pause.

"None of the broadcasters and journalists there took anyone's place in the queue and no-one filed past the Queen. 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."

The segment also showed Willoughby and Schofield outside Parliament reflecting on the atmosphere of the lying-in-state they had just witnessed inside Westminster Hall.

Accredited journalists were escorted to an area at the back of that hall where they could gather material for a set time.

In the live stream footage, the presenters were seen wearing lanyards with press passes.

Willoughby's statement comes after people complained on social media that the two presenters appeared to have been "fast-tracked", in contrast to some members of the public who had to wait overnight in long queues.

One person who had waited in line said: "My 12-year-old daughter queued with us for 13 hours overnight...

"I can't believe this sorry excuse for a justification from ITV and that Holly and Phillip have gone along with this."

Comparisons were also made with former England captain David Beckham and fellow ITV presenter Susanna Reid, who queued along with the public for hours.

Schofield did not comment on the backlash during Tuesday's programme but said observing the Queen's lying-in-state was one of the "most profound moments" in his life.

An ITV spokesperson said: "Any allegations of improper behaviour are categorically untrue."

In a statement a UK Parliament spokesperson confirmed they did give media accreditation to journalists who requested access to Westminster Hall "for the purpose of reporting on the event for the millions of people in the UK and globally who haven't been able to visit Westminster in person".


Watch: David Beckham's 12-hour wait to see the Queen


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
×