Eamonn Holmes was said to be "sick of office politics" before he and Ruth Langsford were "axed" from This Morning.
The TV couple hosted their final Friday show yesterday, and will return only to cover Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby during school holidays in the New Year.
Eamonn was said to be "gutted" when the couple were demoted to holiday cover hosts - with Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary taking over their Friday slots.
But now it has emerged that he has been feeling "fraught" over the "office politics" for a while, according to an insider.
They told The Sun, "Eamonn understands things change in broadcasting — he's an old hand at this now.
"But the situation at This Morning has felt fraught for a while and the office politics surrounding their future has been bubbling away under the surface."
When thanking viewers for their continued support throughout their time on the show, Eamonn was accused of making a thinly-veiled dig at producers by likening the couple to an unwanted Christmas tree.
Despite the storm surrounding the comment, the source said there was no malice intended.
"He was gutted to be moved from the Friday slot with Ruth. There was no malice with his comment on air, it was more just an expression of sadness."
It comes after Phil and Holly failed to reference Ruth and Eamonn's last day, amid rumours of a long-standing feud between the hosts.
It was even reported that Ruth had filed a complaint against Philip, after he interrupted her while she was presenting a preview on Loose Women.
They have been plagued with feud rumours ever since, with fans noticing a frosty air between Phil, Holly, Ruth and Eamonn at the National Television Awards in 2019.
But the four hosts put on a united front earlier this year in supporting Philip when he came out as gay on This Morning.
While Holly and Phil remained silent, hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary, on the other hand were quick to praise their predecessors on social media.
Alison tweeted, "A class above the rest @EamonnHolmes @RuthieeL."
Dermot said, "Masterclass. Humbled to be in your wake.'"
We'll miss you guys!
