ITV proclaims exterior overview over Phillip Schofield’s departure from This Morning
ITV has instructed a barrister to hold out an exterior overview of the info following Phillip Schofield’s assertion and departure from This Morning, chief govt Dame Carolyn McCall has stated.
In a letter seen by the PA news company, ITV’s Dame Carolyn stated: “You can have seen the numerous media protection regarding Phillip Schofield.
“As you would expect we take the matter extremely seriously and have reviewed our own records over the weekend.
“Given the continuing rumours, we continued to ask questions of each events, who each continued to disclaim the rumours, together with as lately as this month.
“There has been a lot of inaccuracy in the reporting so I thought it would be useful to set out some facts.”
The letter was despatched to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Culture, Media and Sport Committee chair Dame Caroline Dinenage and Ofcom chief govt Dame Melanie Dawes.
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Last week Schofield admitted to an “unwise but not illegal” relationship with a youthful male colleague.
The 61-year-old resigned from the broadcaster on Friday after admitting to both the affair and lying about it. He was additionally dropped by his expertise company, YMU.
Schofield had initially stated he was leaving This Morning after more than two decades as a result of he had “become the story” following rumours of a rift between him and co-presenter Holly Willoughby.
Reports of the rift got here after his brother was jailed for 12 years over child sex offences.
Willoughby, 41, is because of return to the present on Monday 5 June, when she returns from vacation.
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The letter goes on to say that ITV has instructed Jane Mulcahy KC, of Blackstone Chambers, to “carry out an external review to establish the facts.”
“She will review our records and talk to people involved. This work will also consider our relevant processes and policies and whether we need to change or strengthen any,” the letter stated.
ITV bosses are set to be quizzed by MPs over their dealing with of the state of affairs at This Morning subsequent week.
The community’s executives will seem earlier than the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday.
They had been scheduled to look earlier than the committee anyway, to debate the draft Media Bill, however have been instructed to count on an interrogation over the Schofield affair as properly.