ITV boss reveals what would have happened to Philip Schofield if he’d come clean about his affair with show runner
THE boss of ITV yesterday admitted failing to carry out a formal investigation into Philip Schofield’s affair with a young colleague — and said she would have sacked him if she had known the truth.
During a grilling by MPs, Chief Executive Dame Carolyn McCall branded Schofield’s relationship with his This Morning colleague “deeply inappropriate”.
But, despite rumours swirling around ITV about the relationship for a number of years, no formal probe was held.
Instead, ‘on-going reviews’ took place which failed to establish what had happened between Schofield and the man, who is almost 30 years his junior.
Dame Carolyn was called to give evidence about the scandal, alongside ITV’s Managing Director Kevin Lygo and General Counsel Kyla Mullins.
During the 90 minute session, Mr Lygo poured scorn on former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes’ decision to bad mouth ITV and vehemently denied allegations of a toxic culture on the show.
But he was later left squirming as MP John Nicolson read out an email confirming Mr Lygo had been told of a bullying claim against Phil – just seconds after he said he could not recall a single complaint.
Dame Carolyn was also left red-faced after being told This Morning staffers referred to their audience as “Tower block Tracey’s” – which she insisted she had never once heard.
During the Culture, Media and Sport Commitee session in Westminster, Dame Carolyn said she was horrified to learn Phil had lied about his relationship with the runner – referred to as Person X to protect his privacy.
Dame Carolyn said she first heard of a rumour about their relationship in December 2019.
However she said that Phil and Person X had “categorically denied” a relationship when asked, both formally and informally, by senior staff during what she called an “on-going review” into the rumours which lasted for “many months”.
Person X was asked 12 TIMES, including twice in a room with a person from human resources present, about if he was having a relationship with Phil and denied it.
When quizzed on whether ITV had pressured him to not speak, she replied: “I want to be clear it was Phillip putting him under pressure.
“Not ITV putting him under pressure. They are two quite different things.
“[Person X] was coming to us for counselling and for other things and we were helping him to talk freely to us without anybody else in the organisation even knowing about it.”
Dame Carolyn went on to deny that their relationship was an “open secret” at ITV.
When asked what she would say in response to Piers Morgan, James Haskell and Kevin McGuire – who claimed ITV knew about Phil and person X, Dame Carolyn said: “The people who say they knew would have only heard rumours.
“With evidence we would have been able to launch a formal investigation.
“The imbalance of power, the imbalance of dynamics in that relationship make it deeply inappropriate and we have policies that say that clearly.
“We worked very hard for many months until recently to ask people, not just Phillip and Person X but people in production, if they knew something was going on. No one in the team, actually most of them said: ‘We don’t know what is going on’.’”
When asked if she would have sacked Phil if he would have confirmed he had been in a sexual relationship with Person X, Dame Carolyn said: “Yes if it was necessary.
“If the investigation said things have emerged that are deeply inappropriate in the workplace and if we had known that at the time we would have acted very swiftly.”
Dame Carolyn added: “I think you would say someone with that different dynamic in power – that was inappropriate.
“If we had had any evidence, or if Phil had said that to us, we would have investigated and we would have taken action.
“It was inappropriate to have a relationship with someone so junior in daytime.”
Dame Carolyn also said there was no evidence to support claims Person X was moved to Loose Women after the relationship ended.
She said: “He absolutely applied for that job and it was a promotion.”
However, Mr Lygo later admitted it was not unfeasible for staff to be moved on at a “presenter’s request”.
He said: “I suppose it is possible that if a producer or a presenter found someone difficult they may say they are finding it difficult to work with that person and then maybe appropriate action would be taken but I don’t know of an example.”
Mr Lygo said he asked Phil directly if there was anything they should know about the rumours, first in February 2022 when he came out on This Morning, and last month when he stepped down.
He added: “He looked me in the eye and promised me there was no truth to the rumours of this relationship.
“Because it was corroborated by Person X, I believed him and I believed his agent.
“Then two days later he comes out and says no it’s a lie.”
Dame Carolyn said Schofield texted her to apologise for lying but did not say whether she responded.
She said she ordered an external investigation to be carried out at ITV, with stars including his co-presenter Holly Willoughby to be questioned.
She said repeatedly bosses were waiting on the outcome to see if changes needed to be made.
But she conceded that some practices may be considered “inappropriate” — including presenters being allowed to pick and choose which runners they work with.
Dame Carolyn, Mr Lygo and Ms Mullins also denied they knew of a toxic culture at This Morning.
They were read a tweet from Eamonn Holmes which claimed: “Schofield has finally been caught out . . . but he’s not the only guilty party.
“Four high members of ITV management knew what sort of man he was and never once took action.”
Mr Lygo suggested Eamonn was bitter after leaving the show as part of a shake-up.
MP Mr Nicolson read out two damning emails from staff, with one saying: “I worked for a boss at Daytime.
“My boss was very difficult and would as a matter of course often shout and belittle staff.
“It went on for years with nobody doing anything about it.
“It was a toxic environment.”
The bosses were also quizzed on This Morning boss Martin Frizell’s decision to joke about questions of toxicity on the long-running show.
Dame Carolyn answered: “I don’t believe anything Martin said there in the heat of the moment is reflected in our culture.”
ITV’s external review into This Morning, which is being carried out by Jane Mulcahy KQ, will begin within weeks.
Dame Carolyn insisted: “She can interview anyone she wants, she can go anywhere she wants — there will be nothing to hide.”
She also confirmed ITV would publish the findings.
When asked if people would lose their jobs following the review, Dame Carolyn said: “I don’t want to get into hypotheticals.
“Depending on findings we will listen, learn and act.”
After the committee hearing ended, Mr Nicolson posted a video on Twitter of him reading the emails.
He said: “ITV staff have been writing to me telling me about bullying & their toxic work environment.
“I read out some of the emails to the ITV boss.
“But here’s something astonishing.
“She says she’s only had two bullying complaints in five years.
“Are staff scared to come forward?”
The external investigation into ITV is expected to begin within the coming weeks.
Dame Carolyn confirmed they would be publishing the findings of the enquiry.
She added: “She can interview anyone she wants, she can go anywhere she wants – there will be nothing to hide.”