Dr Ranj Singh, This Morning's former on hand medical expert, has blasted ITV behind the scenes treatment with a lengthy statement sharing his personal experiences.
Dr Ranj worked on the show alongside Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield since 2016. In his statement, he claims ITV professionally pushed him out of the role after speaking up about backstage "toxic culture" and complaining about a bully on set.
An ITV spokesperson spoke to Sky News and said they carried out an external review following a complaint made by Dr Ranj, and it "found no evidence to support the complaint of bullying". While ITV faces criticism regarding Schofield's affair with a young colleague, Dr Ranj wanted to set the record straight about why he left the station.
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In a lengthy statement, Dr Ranj said: "Lots of journalists have been contacting me this weekend enquiring about this, so I think it’s only right that I clarify things. There is so much more I could say, but for now I hope my concerns will finally be taken seriously, and something good comes from all this.
"I've thought long and hard about posting this. If I'm honest, I wish I didn't have to. But I've got to clarify some things that have been reported about me, and in the light of recent events, I finally feel like I might be believed. To the journalists who have offered me money this weekend to share my experience of working at This Morning, thank you, but it would go against my principles to 'sell my story' - especially about something like this.
"However, given that ITV have commented on my departure, I feel it's only fair for me to do so too to avoid any further conjecture. I was on the show for ten years and I genuinely loved and valued working there. However, over time, I grew increasingly worried about how things were behind-the-scenes and how people, including myself were being treated.
"I 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.
"But then I found myself being used less and less. 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.
"That was two years ago, and frankly, it still hurts. The whole process was pretty heartbreaking and even affected my mental health. But I'm happy to say that I've found my feet again, know my worth and have found my tribe. So my general message to everyone is: look around you. Is this the place you want to be? Do you feel valued? Are you thriving or just surviving? Do you need to speak up?
"These are lesson I have learned my from time in the industry. I say it all with respect, kindness, and a desire to make things better. There are some good people in TV, but we need to be brave and stand up to those who aren't. Even if it's scary as hell, we have to do the right thing, otherwise nothing will change.
An ITV spokesperson told the Echo: "I sincerely hope something good comes from this."
"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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