A petition calling on ITV to sack This Morning presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield has now passed 35,000 signatures.
The pair became involved in an online furore over the weekend after footage emerged showing them being escorted past The Queen's coffin as she lay in state in Westminster Hall.
Willoughby and Schofield were wearing Westminster-issued press passes, which enabled them to enter the room without having to queue with the general public - some of whom had waited for up to 24 hours.
In a segment on yesterday's edition of the daytime show, the duo were seen talking to camera before and after they entered Westminster Hall, with Schofield calling the experience "one of the most profound moments" of his life.
In a pre-recorded voiceover, Willoughby insisted that they had not jumped a queue and were in attendance as press "strictly for the purpose of reporting".
She said: "None of the broadcasters and journalists there took anyone's place in the queue and no-one filed past the Queen. We of course respected those rules.
"However, we realise that it may have looked like something else, and therefore totally understand the reaction. Please know that we would never jump a queue."
Nevertheless, pressure continues to grow on the pair as the change.org petition has rapidly taken off over the last few days, while the issue has also received national press attention from the likes of BBC News and The Sun.
An ITV spokesperson insisted that all protocols had been observed, adding that "any allegations of improper behaviour are categorically untrue".
Neil Wilkes
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