THIS Morning viewers have been dissecting Holly Willoughby’s emotional statement after Phillip Schofield’s departure from the show and it’s got them all saying the same thing.
Holly, 42, returned to TV screens today after a two-break break during which it was revealed her former co-host Phil had lied about having a relationship with a much younger member of the team.
Following Holly's statement on ITV's This Morning, viewers couldn't help but draw comparisons to the fictional series The Morning Show, which aired on Apple TV+.
Flocking to Twitter, many pointed out that Holly's speech had distinct similarities to the one made by Jennifer Aniston's character Alex Levy when addressing her co-presenter Mitch Kessler leaving the show.
The first season, which starred Friends' favourite Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell, centred around the fallout of Mitch (Carell) and his departure.
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One fan wrote: "Anyone else getting Jennifer Aniston "the morning show" vibes?"
"Feels like the morning show you guys need to be creative and create some original drama," added another viewer.
Another person penned: "It’s like the person that wrote ‘The Morning Show’ knew this was going to happen in real life. Similarities are uncanny.
Someone else wrote: "Pretty much same as the (apple emoji)tv show the morning show she’s trying to save the show."
This is Holly's first day back after a two-week break with her family during which it was revealed her former co-star Phillip Schofield, 61, had been in a relationship with a much younger colleague.
The fallout of the affair resulted in Phil stepping down from his contract at ITV completely and publicly apologising for his actions.
Huge speculation has surrounded Holly's return to the show and it was clear the nerves were there during her speech.
Sitting next to presenter Josie Gibson, 38, the mum-of-three stoically faced the cameras and appeared to be suppressing tears.
Fighting back tears, she said: "From my heart thank you for all of the kind messages. Thank you for being here this morning.
"Myself, Josie, Alison, Dermot and Craig and every single person who works on this show will continue to work hard every single day to bring you the show we love."
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Holly began her statement by asking viewers how they were after the rollercoaster few weeks.
Addressing This Morning viewers, Holly said: "Right, deep breath.
"Firstly, are you OK? I hope so. It feels very strange indeed not being here with Phillip.
"I imagine you might have been feeling a lot like I have. Shaken, troubled, let down, worried for the well-being of people from all sides of what's been going on and full of questions.
"You me and all of us at This Morning gave our love and support to someone who was not telling the truth, who they themselves felt they had to resign from ITV and step down from a career that they loved.
"That's a lot to process and it's equally hard to see the toll it's taken on their own mental health.
"I think what unites us all now is a desire to heal and the health and well-being for everyone.
"I hope as we start this new chapter and get back to a place of warmth and magic that this show holds for all of us, then we can find strength in each other."
Following Holly's statement, the show returned to normal with Queen singer Adam Lambert on the schedule for an interview to celebrate Pride month and the LGBT community.
Phone-ins involving the public were heavily vetted by production staff to filter out any attempted viewer outbursts over the scandal.
And interaction segments where viewers send in pictures and social media posts were paused to avoid the risk of any abuse being targeted at the presenters.
Later in the week, Holly will be joined by Irish presenter Craig Doyle, while Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary will be back for their usual slot on Friday.
