ITV is facing a battle to save This Morning in the face of calls for it to be axed over the Phillip Schofield scandal and claims of a “toxic” culture on the show.
Bosses fear This Morning ’s brand has been “tarnished” by Schofield’s admission that he had an affair with a younger male colleague in 2020.
Rumours about the relationship were investigated at the time, but no evidence was found. Questions over the thoroughness of that probe were raised after 61-year-old Schofield finally admitted the affair on Friday.
A source told the Mirror: “The next few weeks will be a desperate bid to save the show – and the jobs of the execs. Fingers are being pointed at the top brass, even though he admitted he lied to all of them.
“The show’s wholesome image is clearly tarnished, but bullish ITV execs are not going to just throw the baby out with the bath water.
“They are determined to prove that the brand is stronger than any single presenter, and that they can give it a fresh start after Schofield.”
ITV’s chief executive Carolyn McCall, its daytime managing director Emma Gormley and editor of This Morning Martin Frizell faced calls for the show to be axed at the weekend, staff reportedly fearing it could be “rested”, or pulled entirely.
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An ITV spokesman told the Mirror last night: “This Morning is not under review and there’s no plans for the show to be axed. This Morning will return as normal tomorrow.”
And an ITV source said: “This Morning has won so many awards, the last thing ITV want is to lose it. They retain faith in editor Martin Frizell and want to move on and look to the future now.”
Schofield stepped down from hosting the show just over a week ago, saying he wanted to protect its reputation amid reports of a feud with co-host Holly Willoughby, 42.
Then on Friday he admitted his “unwise but not illegal” affair and departed ITV entirely. He was then fired by his management company YMU.
One source said he had “lied point blank to staff at every level” about the affair.
Holly, his co-presenter on the show since 2009, said at the weekend that she had found his lies “very hurtful”, revealing she had asked him directly about it when rumours of the relationship had first surfaced.
But she is determined to stay on the show, and is due back on the sofa on June 5. A source said: “Holly wants to stay at This Morning as long as she can, and hopes to ride out the scandal. Other stars like Stephen Mulhern are being approached to fill in for Phil when she returns. Some are reluctant to go in and face angry viewers.
“Holly is determined to stay put - the only reason she would leave now is if This Morning is axed. She has absolutely no plans to leave.”
Over the weekend, reports claimed Schofield first met the runner when he was 15, though he has stipulated their relationship did not develop beyond friendship until he started working at This Morning, aged 18.
Just a day before he stepped down from This Morning, Schofield’s brother Timothy, 54, was jailed for 12 years for sexually abusing a boy.
Schofield, who came out as gay in February 2020, was still with his wife Stephanie Lowe during his affair.
He left London to stay with his mother in Cornwall last week, and is believed to have been visited by daughters Molly, 29, and Ruby, 27.
Former This Morning presenter Dr Ranj, who left the show two years ago, has claimed he was “managed out after raising concerns about how staff were treated behind the scenes.
He said last night: “I raised my concerns about Martin Frizell’s behaviour (and the environment at TM) with Emma Gormley. I then found myself being used less and less.
“I even took my concerns directly to the top of ITV: the culture at This Morning has become toxic, no longer aligned with ITV values, and I felt like because I whistle-blew I was managed out.”
Former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries accused Schofield of “bullying” a co-host when she appeared to talk about online safety in March 2022, when 2010 Big Brother winner Josie Gibson was standing in for Holly.
She said: “I just found him to be quite bullying in his attitude.” Ms Dories said when the camera was on her, Schofield was “aggressively jabbing at the script” and that his co-presenter “looked terrified”.
Saira Khan, a former panellist on ITV’s Loose Women, claimed there was a “toxicity” within ITV. She said: “They cover up for those they love and those they don’t, throw under the bus! Karma is a b***h.”
This Morning’s consumer expert Alice Beer, 58, posted: “Sad and angry. This sorry mess reflects on all of us.” Former This Morning host Eamonn Holmes said Schofield had “deceived” him and wife Ruth. He said: “One day I will tell the story. We had no issue with him being gay, only support. What transpired took us for fools.”
Bosses were last week said to have been happy with ratings as This Morning was hosted by presenters, such as Alison Hammond and Craig Doyle, who interviewed Rishi Sunak.
