Phillip Schofield – what did ITV know? The key questions as broadcaster’s bosses face MPs

Following Phillip Schofield’s dramatic exit from This Morning, ITV bosses are actually set to face questions from MPs.

The broadcaster’s chief government Dame Carolyn McCall will seem at a parliamentary committee this morning to reply questions on its strategy to safeguarding and dealing with complaints.

Kevin Lygo, ITV‘s managing director for media and leisure, and Kyla Mullins, the channel’s normal counsel and firm secretary, can even give proof.

Schofield admitted an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a youthful male colleague, after weeks of hypothesis a few feud together with his This Morning co-presenter Holly Willoughby.

The 61-year-old later clarified in an interview that the colleague was 20 when the connection began, however they first met when the youthful man was 15.

Given they have been each consenting adults on the time Schofield says the connection started, some have criticised the inquiry and the headlines the presenter’s departure from ITV has generated. Writing for The Times, presenter Jeremy Clarkson questioned the “berserk” response, saying Schofield is “only guilty of being what he said he was: gay”.

But the admission has raised issues in regards to the imbalance of energy and prompted questions on how a lot ITV knew in regards to the relationship – Schofield has insisted that neither bosses nor Willoughby have been conscious.

What did ITV know?

Following Schofield’s admission of the affair, ITV has mentioned it investigated “rumours of a relationship” involving a youthful worker – however the pair “categorically and repeatedly denied” the affair.

This was across the time the presenter, who has been married to his spouse Stephanie Lowe since 1993, came out as gay with an announcement on This Morning, supported by Willoughby, in 2020.

In an announcement, ITV mentioned each Schofield and the male colleague have been questioned in 2020 however each denied the “rumours”, as did the star’s company, YMU – who’ve now dropped him.

Read extra on Phillip Schofield:
What have we learned from star’s interviews?
The timeline of presenter’s ITV departure

“In addition, ITV spoke to a number of people who worked on This Morning and were not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour,” the assertion mentioned.

It went on to say Schofield had “lied to people at ITV, from senior management to fellow presenters, to YMU, to the media and to others”.

However, former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes has accused the broadcaster of a “total cover-up”.

When requested by Sky News if errors have been made of their 2020 investigation, Mr Lygo replied: “No.”

Who is Dame Carolyn McCall?

Dame Carolyn turned the primary feminine boss of ITV on the finish of 2017, transferring to the broadcaster after leaving her function as chief government of the EasyJet airline. Before that, she ran the Guardian Media Group.

She was awarded her damehood in 2016 for providers to the airline trade.

Dame Carolyn has overseen ITV throughout a troublesome interval that has included Piers Morgan quitting Good Morning Britain, the axing of The Jeremy Kyle Show, and the suicides of two Love Island contestants and the present’s presenter Caroline Flack.

Read extra:
Holly Willoughby’s This Morning return statement
This Morning editor says scores are being settled

Following the fall-out from Schofield’s affair admission, she instructed a barrister to hold out an exterior overview of the details surrounding the connection.

Jane Mulcahy KC, of Blackstone Chambers, will conduct this.

“She will review our records and talk to people involved,” Dame Carolyn mentioned in a letter despatched to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, tradition media and sport (CMS) committee chair Dame Caroline Dinenage, and Ofcom chief government Dame Melanie Dawes. “This work will also consider our relevant processes and policies and whether we need to change or strengthen any.”

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What occurs at this time?

Dame Carolyn, Mr Lygo and Ms Mullins will seem earlier than the CMS committee to reply questions in regards to the scandal.

MPs will need to know whether or not senior executives knew in regards to the relationship, and the way the youthful colleague got here to get the job on This Morning within the first place.

Were there programs in place to guard younger members of workers from any potential manipulation or abuse of energy from these increased up?

What have been the circumstances surrounding the youthful colleague’s transfer to Loose Women and, in a while, his departure from ITV?

Whatever occurs, Dame Caroline has assured the questioning won’t be a “witch hunt” against Schofield.

However, when requested by Sky News if she had issues about ITV’s dealing with of the state of affairs, she mentioned: “The fact is that these big public service broadcasters have these gods of television, these incredibly powerful and successful celebrities who do have incredible influence and power, and my committee want to make sure that there are the right workplace practices in place, the right duty of care over junior staff members.

“They (celebrities) do have the potential energy over different folks’s careers, and we need to be certain that every little thing is in place that stops that being abused in any means.”

The listening to is because of start at 10am.