Holly and Phil and ‘Queuegate’? Nonsense – if we cover an event, we get press accreditation

What a week! The Queen’s funeral eclipsed everything. On the culture desk, we’ve run features about how the BBC and ITV handled coverage of it, whether we really need a 24-hour live-stream of the Queen lying in state, and the best onscreen portrayals of Queen Elizabeth II.

But just when we thought we could move on from the solemn occasion, it’s the “Queuegate crisis”.

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have been heavily criticised after being accused of jumping the line to see the Queen lying in state at the Palace of Westminster. The public are asking for them to be sacked from their This Morning hosting jobs – with Willoughby vowing to remain. The duo are apparently “dumbstruck” by the backlash – both claim they entered the hall in their capacity as broadcasters and deny skipping the queue.

Willoughby’s Instagram account has been highjacked by trolls with toxic messages.

I may not be a royalist – but I Ioved the Queen. I would never have queued all day, though, to see her coffin. I don’t judge anybody who did, either – like David Beckham who was praised for queuing alongside members of the public for 13 hours. But don’t most journalists and broadcasters, if they are covering an event, get press accreditation?

Whenever I’ve been to a premiere in the West End, a star-studded ballet at the Royal Opera House, or even a top music festival, that for others might have been sold out, I’ve been ushered through speedily on my press ticket. Whether it’s been to write about it – mostly – or part of the job of just seeing what’s on, it’s normal practice.

I don’t think anybody should jump the queue to see the Queen – even the MPs who did it. But even if Willoughby privately wanted to pay her respects, isn’t attending such an event to discuss it on primetime TV for the millions of people in the UK who haven’t been able to visit Westminster, simply part of her This Morning duties?

Let’s hope we can all move on from this epic state funeral – I think it’s time I switched on the Great British Bake Off just to unwind.

Yours,

Charlotte Cripps

Culture writer