Phillip Schofield: Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary pay tribute on This Morning

Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary opened Monday's occurrence of This Morning with a tribute to Phillip Schofield pursuing his departure from the show.

Opening Monday's show, Hammond described Schofield arsenic "one of the champion unrecorded tv broadcasters this state has ever had".

O'Leary said everyone astatine at ITV "wish him each the champion for the future".

Hammond and O'Leary usually contiguous the daytime amusement connected Fridays but stepped successful connected Monday. It has not yet been announced who volition permanently regenerate Schofield.

"We can't commencement today's amusement without paying tribute to the antheral who spent the past 2 decades sitting connected the This Morning sofa, Phillip Schofield," Hammond said connected Monday.

O'Leary continued: "So, arsenic a show, everyone connected and disconnected surface astatine ITV and This Morning privation to accidental a immense convey you to Phil for what he's done to marque this amusement specified a occurrence implicit the past 21 years."

Hammond said: "Quite simply, we each cognize he's 1 of the champion unrecorded tv broadcasters this state has ever had, and we and each the squad privation him each the champion for the future."

O'Leary added: "So, Holly is present taking a interruption implicit half-term, she volition beryllium backmost successful this workplace successful 2 weeks, connected Monday 5 June."