‘He’s not the only guilty party’
Eamonn Holmes has claimed that several “high members of ITV management” knew about Phillip Schofield’s affair with a young This Morning colleague.
On Friday evening, Schofield released a statement to the Daily Mail in which he revealed he had lied about having a relationship with the colleague whilst he was married to his then-wife Stephanie.
In the statement the 61-year-old said: “I am making this statement via the Daily Mail, to whom I have already apologised personally for misleading, through my lawyer who I also misled, about a story which they wanted to write about me a few days ago.
“Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than a just a friendship. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over.”
He went on to announce that he was resigning from ITV and would not be hosting the British Soap Awards next month.
Just minutes later, his management company YMU cut ties with Schofield following his announcement about the affair.
Following the announcement, GB News host and former This Morning host Eamonn Holmes tweeted that four members of ITV management had known “what sort of man he [Schofield] was.”
He wrote: “Schofield has finally been caught out … But he’s not the only guilty party. 4 high members of Itv management knew what sort of man he was …and NEVER once took action to prevent him controlling or taking advantage of his position over young people.”
Meanwhile, former ITV employee Dan Wooton also called out ITV management, in particular the broadcasters’s chief executive Carolyn McCall.
He questioned why ITV didn’t launch an investigation into the allegations when he went to them with the story in 2019, and called on the ‘woke CEO’ and her senior executives to step down following the scandal.
Following Schofield’s statement, an ITV spokesperson said they were “deeply disappointed by the admissions of deceit” made by Schofield and confirmed it had cut all ties with the host.
It’s been reported that The Mail know the identity of the man in question but have chosen not to name him.
Last weekend, Schofield suddenly stepped down from his role as presenter on This Morning after 21 years.
This followed reports of a breakdown in his relationship with co-host Holly Willoughby.
Cover presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary paid tribute to Schofield at the start of Monday’s programme.
Schofield had presented This Morning show since 2002, with Willoughby joining him as a co-presenter in 2009.
Willoughby is currently on holiday but set to return to the show on Monday 5 June.
Earlier this year, his brother Timothy Schofield was jailed for 12 years after being found guilty of sexually abusing a boy.
Related links:
ITV issues statement amid claims Holly Willoughby was involved in Phillip Schofield’s exit
Phillip Schofield ‘approached by BBC show’ after This Morning exit
Amanda Holden takes swipe at Phillip Schofield following This Morning departure
