ITV bosses have denied knowledge of This Morning production staff allegedly referring to viewers as “Tower Block Tracys”.
Dame Carolyn McCall, the broadcaster’s chief executive, and Kevin Lygo, ITV’s director of television, faced questions at a session held by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) on Wednesday (14 June). You can follow the latest updates here.
The session was held response to Phillip Schofield exiting his role at the network, including his presenting role at This Morning, after admitting to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague, as well as to address allegations of a “toxic” workplace environment at ITV.
Schofield had previously denied rumours of the relationship to his colleagues at ITV, as well as his talent agency YMU, who dropped him when he went public with the affair.
The government department questioned ITV over the broadcaster’s approach to safeguarding and complaint handling.
During the session, SNP Shadow Culture Secretary John Nicolson asked McCall about staff at the daytime programme allegedly speaking about the audience in a disparaging manner, while discussing the “toxic workplace” allegations.
“Can you confirm the daytime production staff at This Morning referred to their audience in production meetings as ‘Tower Block Tracys’?” he asked.
McCall and Lygo both appeared taken aback, and replied by saying they’d “never heard” of the phrase.
Nicolson continued: “A number of people have told me that. Seems cruelly dismissive. If an idea is regarded as too highbrow, I’m told people say, ‘Would that really appeal to the Towerblock Tracys?’ It’s a horrible thing to say.”
McCall maintained that she was completely unaware of this phrase being used and stated that the staff at ITV were appreciative of their audience.
“We wouldn't describe our target audience in that way. I do know one thing, which is that the daytime team on every show really cares about the audience, so that surprises me,” she said.
The Independent has reached out to ITV representatives for further comment.
ITV has been plagued with accusations of a “toxic” work culture since Schofield’s departure, with various former colleagues expressing issues experienced during their time there.
This Morning’s former resident doctor Ranj Singh hit out at a “toxic” culture, saying he raised concerns about “bullying and discrimination” two years ago while he still worked there – and afterwards felt like he was “managed out” for whistleblowing.
Elsewhere, former Dancing on Ice judge Jason Gardiner spoke out about the broadcaster in an interview with The Sun.
“I believe this toxic culture will destroy itself,” he noted. “This is opening Pandora’s box, and rightly so.”
