Phillip Schofield: ITV boss denies turning ‘blind eye’ to former This Morning presenter’s ‘deeply inappropriate’ affair

ITV bosses have denied turning “a blind eye” to Phillip Schofield’s “deeply inappropriate” affair with a junior colleague, telling MPs they might have taken motion had they been offered with proof and never “rumours”.

Dame Carolyn McCall, the broadcaster’s chief government, confronted questions on Schofield’s departure from This Morning alongside managing director Kevin Lygo and common counsel Kyla Mullins, throughout a tradition, media and sport committee session in parliament.

They informed the listening to that each Schofield and the youthful male colleague, known as Person X, “repeatedly denied” having a relationship till the presenter’s shock admission in May, and pushed again towards claims it was an “open secret” – as made by folks together with former Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan.

Dame Carolyn stated bosses “were repeatedly told nothing was happening”, and each males denied it “both formally and informally”, with Person X being questioned on 12 events over a time frame.

“There was only hearsay and rumour and speculation,” ITV’s chief government stated. “Nobody on the board would have turned a blind eye to something as serious as this.”

If proof had emerged in regards to the relationship, bosses “would have acted very swiftly”, she stated.

During the session, the ITV bosses additionally responded to allegations of a “toxic” environment on ITV’s daytime shows, and confronted questions on different points such because the suicides of Love Island contestants and presenter Caroline Flack, and allegations about “abuse” and “bullying” on The X Factor.

The listening to was referred to as after Schofield, 61, resigned from ITV and admitted to the “unwise but not illegal” affair which began when Person X was 20. The presenter was subsequently dropped by his expertise company, YMU.

Dame Carolyn informed MPs that the “imbalance of power, the imbalance of dynamics” made the connection “deeply inappropriate”.

ITV bosses deny NDAs and gagging orders

The listening to was informed the matter was regarded into at across the time when Schofield came out as gay on This Morning in February 2020, supported by his then co-presenter Holly Willoughby.

Read extra:
Phillip Schofield: Timeline of ITV departure
Key extracts from ITV chief executive’s letter on Schofield departure

Dame Carolyn confirmed Schofield has been “receiving counselling” since his exit from the present and that she is “very concerned” about his welfare.

She additionally confirmed there’s “no gagging order or NDA” to cease Person X from talking out in regards to the state of affairs, and denied he was given a “pay-off” when he left ITV. The listening to was informed he obtained a normal redundancy cost.

The ITV bosses have been additionally requested about how the younger man got here to work at ITV. MPs heard he utilized for work expertise and listed Schofield as a household pal, however this was not that uncommon and the appliance didn’t ring “alarm bells”.

Person X carried out work expertise at This Morning for about two weeks when he was 19, and “impressed people” earlier than he was later supplied a longer-term mounted contract, the politicians have been informed.

Is there a ‘poisonous’ tradition at This Morning?

Later within the session, MPs requested about allegations of a poisonous tradition at This Morning, and Dame Carolyn described these as “deeply” disappointing.

She confirmed the present has obtained two complaints about bullying or harassment in 5 years, and stated these have been “both taken very seriously”. One of those was from the present’s former resident physician Dr Ranj Singh, who raised concerns about “bullying and discrimination” and afterwards said he felt like he was “managed out” for whistleblowing.

“It deeply disappoints me but we do not recognise that at This Morning, we have tangible evidence to tell you where the vast majority of people at daytime at This Morning are extremely engaged and very motivated,” Dame Carolyn stated.

Read extra:
Holly Willoughby’s full statement in This Morning return
Alison Hammond breaks down on This Morning
Schofield apologises over affair – and says he has ‘lost everything’

MP John Nicholson informed the panel he had obtained many messages from workers previous and current at ITV speaking in regards to the bullying tradition on the broadcaster, with one describing daytime TV as “particularly toxic”.

Dame Carolyn replied: “They’re very disappointing to hear. Deeply distressing. I’ve said we’ve had two official complaints, both of them investigated – it does not fill me with anything but sorrow.”

She additionally described feedback from This Morning editor Martin Frizell as “foolish”, after he referred to aubergines when asked by Sky News about allegations of a “toxic” work environment on the programme.

“I think Martin has made a mistake, I think he knows he made a mistake, I don’t think he intended to say that. It was a foolish comment; an ill-advised comment, I absolutely agree,” she stated.

An unbiased overview into the details by a barrister, commissioned by ITV, was additionally mentioned throughout the listening to, with Dame Carolyn saying: “There will be things to learn.”

The barrister will overview complaints made since 1 January 2016, and take into account whether or not steps taken to cope with them have been “appropriate and adequate”.

The overview is predicted to be accomplished by the top of September.