PHILLIP Schofield has insisted that there is “no toxicity” at ‘This Morning‘ as he releases a new statement following his bombshell departure from the ITV1 show.
The 61-year-old star sensationally quit the ITV daytime magazine show last week after 20 years amid rumours of a feud with his co-star Holly Willoughby, 42, and just days after admitting that he had an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague whilst still married to Stephanie Lowe has insisted that a “handful” of people seem to have a “grudge” against him.
He wrote on Instagram: “Now I no longer work on @thismorning I am free to say this. I hope you have noticed that it’s the same handful of people with a grudge against me or the show who seem to have the loudest voice. This morning IS the best show to work on, with the best people. In all the years I worked there there was no toxicity.
“You can listen to those persistently loud voices if you like. But the thousands of guests over the years, thousands of staff and crew, hundreds of presenters and contributors all know, it IS a family of wonderful, talented, kind, hard working people.”(sic)
In recent days, Phil’s long-serving co-star Holly - who is set to continue with her role on ‘This Morning’ - claimed that she had been “lied to” by Phil and Dr. Ranj Singh claimed that there had been a “toxic culture” on the set of the daytime show throughout the decade he appeared.
On Saturday, Holly wrote on Instagram: It has taken time to process yesterday’s news.
“When reports of this friendship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not. “It’s been very hurtful to now find out this was a lie.”
ITV confirmed on Saturday that they had investigated claims of an affair between Schofield and his colleague but both had denied it after rumours about the relationship first emerged in 2020.
A spokesperson for the broadcaster: “Further to our statement last night, ITV can confirm that when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate in early 2020 ITV investigated.
“Both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip’s then agency YMU.
“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.
“Phillip’s statement yesterday reveals that he lied to people at ITV, from senior management to fellow presenters, to YMU, to the media and to others over this relationship.”
Phillip - who has now left the broadcaster entirely - said in a long statement issued to the Daily Mail on Friday: “I am making this statement via the Daily Mail to whom I have already apologised personally for misleading, through my lawyer who I also misled, about a story which they wanted to write about me a few days ago.
“The first thing I want to say is: I am deeply sorry for having lied to them, and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on ‘This Morning’.
“I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at ‘This Morning’.
“Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship.
“That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over.”
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV1 and streams on ITVX - The UK’s freshest streaming service.
