This Morning's former star Dr Ranj Singh has issued a statement after a photo of himself with Phillip Schofield's former lover resurfaced.
The resident doctor worked on the ITV show alongside Phillip and Holly Willoughby since 2016 but left over a year ago. This week he revealed he had put in a formal complaint about an unnamed bully on the set.
Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding claims that ITV bosses 'covered up' Phillip's affair with a young showrunner while he was still married, Dr Ranj took to social media to blast the channel's 'toxic culture'.
He shared his experience on the show and explained why he made the decision to leave the broadcaster.
However, following his claims over ITV's culture, a 2017 photo of him posing with the showrunner Phillip previously had an affair with resurfaced on the internet.
Dr Ranj today defended himself and issued a statement on the selfie. The caption called the showrunner the 'resident This Morning stud' - something he has clarified as a joke.
He said: "It’s sad that there are people out there trying to cause damage and insinuate things from a harmless picture. So here are some facts: [Phil's ex] and I worked together at This Morning. He was 21 when we took this picture at the studio. And it was obviously taken as a joke."
Over the weekend, Dr Ranj took to social media to explain how he had been "increasingly worried" about how things were behind-the-scenes and how individuals were being treated on This Morning.
The resident doctor says he "didn't know the truth about what was going on with Phillip, but I do know the issues with This Morning go far beyond him."
"It takes more than one person to create a culture. So I did what I thought was right and, as ITV confirmed last night, I raised my concerns about Martin Frizell's behaviour (and the environment at This Morning) with Emma Gormley - especially given that my job is to look after people's wellbeing, and I had been heavily involved in diversity, anti-bullying, and mental health projects across the channel," he said.
"But then I found myself being used less and less."
Dr Ranj continued on in his lengthy statement: "I even took my concerns directly to the top of ITV. The culture at This Morning had become toxic, no longer aligned with ITV values, and I felt like because I whistle-blew I was managed out.
"But as history and experience have taught us, things like bullying and discrimination are very hard to prove, particularly in hindsight and when the 'people in power' control the narrative. As we've seen, no review or investigation is foolproof.
"Still, I was assured that certain things were going to be addressed and changes made. I haven't worked on the show since... and I'm not the only one who has spoken up or experienced similar."
He went on to say the experience affected his mental health but he's finally "found his feet again."
Following Ranj's statement, an ITV spokesperson told The Mirror: "We are sorry to read Dr Ranj’s post today. At ITV we are fully committed to providing every opportunity for anyone who works with us to raise any concern or comments they may have.
"Following a complaint made by Dr Ranj, we appointed an external and independent advisor to carry out a review. This external review found no evidence of bullying or discrimination."
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