Holly and Phil break silence over 'skipping queue' to Queen: 'We were given official permission'

ok.co.uk:

This Morning hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have broken their silence over the criticism they've faced since visiting the Queen's Lying-in-State at Westminster Hall.

Phil, 60, and Holly, 41, have faced backlash after they were spotted walking past queuing mourners and paying their respects in a different line to the public, even leading to a petition to have the two presenters axed.

ITV has since been forced to release a statement clarifying they were there in a professional capacity with "press accreditation", insisting: "They did not file past The Queen's coffin", adding: "Any allegations of improper behaviour are categorically untrue." Holly and Phillip appeared on Tuesday's This Morning after the show took a break so ITV could cover the Queen's funeral on 19 September.

They started the episode by addressing the backlash in a special segment covering the Queen's funeral and Lying-in-State, Holly said in a VT: "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 haven't 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 besides 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.