Holly Willoughby's co-star Phillip Schofield defends her after claims she's a £10m 'bimbo'

Holly Willoughby's co-star Phillip Schofield defends her after claims she's a £10m 'bimbo'

Phillip Schofield has defended his This Morning co-star and host of The Voice Holly Willoughby after a vicious attack by Fern Britton’s former agent.

Jon Roseman called Holly, 32, a bimbo without a “single flicker of talent”, adding that she lacked the interview skills of predecessor Fern, who he once represented.

But furious Phillip said she was worth every penny and blasted: “When did the rants of a washed up, out of touch, inaccurate, old TV agent become relevant?”

He added about Roseman’s newspaper comments: “Must’ve been paid by the word. Sod off Jon Roseman.”

In another post on Twitter, Schofield said: “He’s got to be careful, or we might start discussing him. And that would be interesting.”

Roseman sparked the row in a newspaper saying: “Just in case you ever wondered what was so wrong with television today, you need look no further than present er Holly Willoughby and the news that she is on her way to amassing a £10 million fortune.

“How has she done it? Not by showing a single flicker of talent, that’s for sure.”

Holly and Pip on This Morning

Roseman, an agent for 35 years, said “every word that drops from Holly’s finely formed lips proves just how ill-equipped she is to be a television frontwoman”.

He sneered: “Indeed, the fact she’s got the job at all, let alone that she’s so well-paid, shows just how far female presenters have sunk today.

“It’s dispiriting enough that TV bosses are prepared to hire a woman who seems to be such a lightweight. But to see her being rewarded so handsomely takes the biscuit.”

Roseman, who has also represented Anne Diamond and the late Jill Dando, also slammed Holly for showing her emotions and crying on screen.

He sniped: “I’m sure some viewers may have found this display of emotion endearing but, in my book, it was quite the opposite. If an interviewer can’t keep their feelings in check, how can they expect the people they are talking to â€" often the subjects of terrible trauma â€" to do so?”

Roseman had seemingly taken of fence to fellow agent Tony Fitzpatrick comparing Holly earlier this week to Roseman’s former client Diamond, who worked on breakfast station TV-am

“Like Anne, Holly appeals to all ages and to both sexes,” Fitzpatrick said. “But unlike Anne, she has been able to capitalise on her success financially. She will certainly be sitting on at least £10million.

“She may be earning £5million a year at the moment, and that could go up if she breaks America.“

Holly is reported to earn £400,000 from The Voice and a £250,000 salary for This Morning. She's also a regular on Celebrity Juice and has had multiple fashion collections for Very.co.uk.

The Voice host Holly

It also emerged yesterday that three years ago Roseman made a series of wild claims over how Fern was reportedly “furious” when Phillip Schofield was chosen as John Leslie’s replacement on This Morning.

Roseman wrote of Phillip: “The man was too smug and his view of himself would have made Narcissus seem modest.”

Holly’s fans also sprang to her defence.

Charlotte Robley said: “Can’t believe this Jon Roseman is slagging off @hollywills.”

Lucy Sheehan said: “Jon Roseman you are probably the only person that thinks this.”

Holly acknowledges that her boobs (or Willoughboobies) have become something of a trademark - thanks in part to a certain Mr Lemon.

“I don’t mind people fixating on my cleavage," she said. "I mainly blame Keith Lemon for bringing it into the main arena so people feel the need to talk about it all the time. But it’s fine, it’s fine â€" they’re only boobs.”

And she's not about to start keeping them under wraps any time soon. Here are her best bits from the first series of The Voice:

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