Phillip Schofield – live: ITV boss Dame Carolyn McCall says Schofield’s lover denied affair 12 times
Former presenter Schofield resigned from ITV after admitting to an ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a younger male colleague
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Your support makes all the difference.ITV boss Dame Carolyn McCall appeared before a parliamentary committee today (Wednesday 14 June) to answer questions about the broadcaster’s approach to safeguarding and complaint handling after former employee Phillip Schofield’s exit from This Morning.
The chief executive faced questions from MPs on the This Morning row at a session of the Culture, Media, and Sport Committee. This comes after former presenter Schofield, 61, resigned from ITV and was dropped by his talent agency YMU after admitting to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague.
Since Schofield’s resignation, This Morning has been plagued with allegations of “toxicity”. McCall vehemently denied this during the committee hearing and detailed how ITV bosses had repeatedly questioned Schofield and his lover about rumours of their affair.
The show’s former resident doctor Ranj Singh hit out at a “toxic” culture last month, saying he raised concerns about “bullying and discrimination” two years ago when he worked there – and afterwards felt like he was “managed out” for whistleblowing.
Kyla Mullins stresses that Person X has not signed a non-disclosure agreement.
Carolyn McCall says that she has no knowledge of any NDAs, apart from those for commercial reasons.
Carolyn McCall and Kyla Mullins confirm that Person X was a “family friend” of Schofield’s, but that ITV never found an issue in him being brought in for work experience via these channels.
Carolyn McCall says it was Schofield, not ITV who put Person X “under pressure” to lie about the affair.
MP John Nicolson has shared some complaints he has received from former ITV staffers, describing aggressive bosses and bullying on set.
Carolyn McCall has asked the MP if he would pass these complaints along to ITV. Kyla Mullins adds that Nicolson can give those people their complaints number if he feels comfortable.
Discussing Martin Frizell’s controversial recent interview on Sky News where he talked about aubergines, McCall calls the comments “foolish”.
Discussing the complaint made about the culture on This Morning made in the last five years but not by Dr Ranj Singh, Kyla Mullins says that none of the complaint was upheld.
Kevin Lygo says Phillip Schofield didn’t “argue against” leaving This Morning, with his departure coming amid intense media scrutiny on the daytime show due to his brother’s trial.
Kevin Lygo says ‘it’s not that unusual’ that Schofield requested Person X to work with him on other shows
Responding to comments by Phillip Schofield got Person X jobs on other ITV shows he works on, Kevin Lygo says: “It’s not that unusual for producers to bring people over, for presenters to say, ‘Can I have that nice researcher?’ It’s not that unusual.”
McCall adds that it was the agent who put the request into the This Morning production team, adding that Person X was requested by other staff members including Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford.
Asked about former ITV talent, such as Eamonn Holmes, who have spoken out in the wake of Schofield’s departure, Kevin Lygo says that such former presenters often feel they have a “divine right” to stay on the network.
“It’s not surprising, is it, that when they go, they’re like, ‘Hate ITV, it’s awful.’ When the decade they were there, they were reaping the rewards and enjoying the job and everybody seemed to get on,” he says.
Just two complaints made about ‘toxic’ culture on This Morning in five years, Carolyn McCall says
McCall claims that there have been two complaints about a “toxic” culture or bullying on This Morning in the last five years, one of which was made public by Dr Ranj Singh.
You can read his comments below:
