Holly Willoughby's 'revenge' after Phillip Schofield's controversial return to TV

Holly Willoughby was left 'hurt and betrayed' by Phillip Schofield after his affair with a young runner on This Morning was exposed but has remained dignified throughout his explosive return

The telly world has seen some major dramas lately. This week, Philip Schofield made a stunning comeback on TV with his new three-part reality show Cast Away, after he quit his presenting gig on This Morning last May amid revelations of an extra-marital affair with a young runner, effectively exiling him from the glittering realm of showbiz.

Schofield's outing on Channel 5 featured him roughing it in true Robinson Crusoe style, bearded and weather-beaten, as he faced the trials of survival on a deserted island near Madagascar for 10 days, evidently trying to salvage his tarnished reputation. But it wasn't just about survival; during his time alone, he couldn't resist firing some thinly-disguised barbs towards figures in the television industry, reports OK!.

It seems fair to assume one of these targets was none other than his old mate Holly Willoughby. Their once tight-knit partnership on This Morning ended up frosty following Philip's infamous love scandal last year. They had been inseparable co-hosts for over a decade. Although, instead of hitting back publicly or causing a social media frenzy over Phil's biting remarks, Holly has opted to stay admirably quiet during his attention-stealing return.

A source confides that Holly's approach to the furore surrounding her ex-colleague has always been to keep things "respectful as possible - even though she was the one left to 'pick up the pieces and deal with the fallout"'. They whisper, "She was very hurt and betrayed by him as she felt he had lied to her but she has never really slated him - so for him to make thinly-veiled attacks on his new show was a real low."

"She didn't deserve that and she thought that after all she has been through in the past 18 months, that he might be a bit more understanding. But it's clear he sort of blames her for his downfall and that he's still angry about it all - and Holly knew he wouldn't be able to keep quiet." They added, "She had been gearing up for what he was going to say and it's not nice but she feels she'll get the last laugh as the show hasn't exactly been well-received and he is getting criticism for playing the victim and trying to get sympathy."

Once inseparable pals who would even take holidays together and whose bleary-eyed, giggly stints on the This Morning couch after raucous nights at the National Television Awards became iconic, fast forward 16 months and it appears they're no longer on speaking terms. Fast-forward 16 months, though, and the two haven't been spotted together publicly since their final appearance on May 18 last year, amid whispers of a 'feud' and Holly's apparent lack of interest in mending their relationship.

And during his big comeback show, Phil seemed determined to spill some personal grievances. While she isn't named explicitly, Phil mentioned in the three-part series, "I miss parts of being on TV, certainly. I miss most of it, if I'm honest. I miss most of it. But there are bits that I really, really, really don't miss." He took a swipe with the pointed comment: "You learn a lot about people. I don't miss that. When you throw someone under a bus, you've got to have a really bloody good reason to do it."

Highlighting the moment that caught everyone's attention, Phil couldn't resist making light of Holly's on-air query post his departure: "If you're okay, then we're okay and I'm okay. Are you okay? " as he shared laughs during a barbecue in his garden with wife Steph and their daughters Molly, 31, and Ruby, 28.

Phil dropped a dramatic hint that his exit from This Morning was not by choice, but rather he was pushed out, declaring emphatically: "It's inconceivable that I would quit [any show that he is on].I don't quit. I'm fired. But I never quit." While fishing, some fans speculated he might be alluding to Holly once more with the remark: "People just went who I thought were my friends and they just went. And that's like 'what the hell?'."

The impact of Phil's new show, Cast Away, on his future career remains uncertain. On the flip side, Holly has a buzzing career, growing further since her own departure from This Morning last October, following the foiling of a terrifying plot that resulted in security guard Gavin Plumb being sentenced in July to at least 16 years' imprisonment for planning to kidnap, assault, and kill the star.

Holly has made a strong comeback from past difficulties, and the ITV darling is gearing up for a trio of major shows. She's set to host a revival of the game show 'You Bet!' alongside her pal Stephen Mulhern, launch into a fresh series of Dancing On Ice come January, and dive into her adventure reality competition Bear Hunt with Bear Grylls.

The latter, which will premiere on Netflix, could catapult Holly to international stardom. An insider revealed, "That show is set to make her a global star and Netflix have high hopes for it and are predicting it to be a success in both the UK and America as well as other countries.

"If it does, Holly will become a big international star, something Phil always dreamed of. By keeping quiet and letting Phil get slated for his new show, Holly feels it is the best kind of revenge, especially after what he has implied about her."