Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield pay emotional final farewell to Denise Robertson
The pair broadcast live from the funeral
Last updated 8th Jan 2018
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield co-presented This Morning live from the funeral of popular agony aunt Denise Robertson, who died after a short battle with cancer.
The presenters paid a touching tribute as they broadcast live from Sunderland Minster.
Holly and Phillip linked live to the studio in London where Lorraine Kelly and Rylan Clark-Neal covered for the day.
Standing in front of the Minster the pair were clearly emotional as they remembered their late colleague who sadly passed away at the beginning of the month.
*This Morning | © ITV *This Morning | © ITV
Denise’s close friends and family, including Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford, attended the funeral to lay her to rest.
Speaking about her commitment to the show and the travelling she carried out between Sunderland and London, Holly and Phillip said “Denise had her own seat on the train, it wasn’t official. She had her own seat sat there with a gin and tonic waiting for her.”
Watch their touching tribute below:
An emotional Lorraine Kelly back in the studio also added “What a special lady, what a wise woman, she touched so many hearts.”
After it was announced Denise had passed away at the beginning of the month, the This Morning team paid a touching tribute to the loved agony aunt.
Both Holly and Phillip came in on their days off to be part of a special tribute episode, which also saw Eamonn Holmes join his wife Ruth Langsford on the sofa despite being off work to recover from a double hip replacement.
Watch Eamonn and Ruth’s emotional tribute below:
The pair told Holly and Phillip 'it’s almost like a royal send-off’ with the amount of people who turned out to the Minister.
Former presenters, Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, also attended the service.
Hundreds of fans lined the street around Sunderland Minster. The service was carried out by The Reverend Canon Provost Sheila Bamber and was followed by a private burial.
Denise had been a popular member of This Morning since it first broadcast back in 1988. She will certainly be missed by all.