Revealed: The Alan Carr joke about Phillip Schofield that ITV cut from the Royal Variety Performance broadcast - despite leaving the audience in stitches

When comic Alan Carr made a gag about Phillip Schofield's lack of work since his affair scandal, the audience at the Royal Variety Performance, the audience fell into hysterics.

But ITV, the presenter's former employers and the network screening the event, cut the joke - perhaps fearing it would prompt him to start another row with them.

During the live show, recorded at the Royal Albert Hall on November 22, much loved hosts Carr and Amanda Holden were taking about how they’d relaxed throughout the day.

Ms Holden had said she’d been juicing while it seemed Carr hadn’t eaten his dinner.

Then a Deliveroo driver appeared on the stage with around ten boxes of all pizza, prompting Carr - to tell the man to take them to his dressing room.

As the Deliveroo driver left the stage Alan said: 'I can’t be too hard on him, I’m just pleased to see Phillip Schofield is back working again!'

One audience member told the Mail: 'Alan was hilarious, it just rolled off of his tongue and the whole place was falling around laughing.

'The crowd were in fits of laughter, it perfectly timed and very, very funny. It is just so strange that ITV didn't include it in their final edit.'

Schofield, 61, began a war of words with ITV - who he worked for more than 30 years before leaving 18 months ago - during his Channel 5 show Cast Away.

He inflamed the fall out by insisting he was sacked rather than leaving following his affair with a much younger This Morning colleague.

He also took aim at his former friend and co-star Holly Willoughby, This Morning editor Martin Frizell and head of daytime Emma Gormley by referring to them as 'three s***s.'

A TV source said: 'Perhaps ITV didn't want to start another row with Phil by putting that on air.'

Ms Holden, 53, has also made no secret of her disdain for Schofield after she claimed he blocked her from stepping into Ms Willoughby's shoes while she hosted I'm A Celeb back in 2018.

And several months on in 2019, Ms Holden made her feelings clear when she took a swipe at Schofield during a radio quiz on Heart Breakfast. When asked what she wouldn't want to discover in her house, she said: 'Spiders, flies and Phillip Schofield.'

Almost four million tuned in to watch the Royal Variety Performance last night.

One audience member said: 'We had the most fabulous night at the Royal Albert Hall. Alan and Amanda were hilarious with some of the many highlights being the cast of Oliver and seeing Elton John introduce The Devil Wears Prada.'

ITV declined to comment.