ITV say they DID investigate rumours of Phillip Schofield’s affair with younger male employee

ITV mentioned at the moment it did examine rumours of Phillip Schofield’s affair with a youthful male worker – each each of them denied it when questioned.

The broadcaster launched a press release this morning confirming that the star and his colleague, who MailOnline has chosen to not identify, had been quizzed by bosses when rumours of a relationship first started to flow into in early 2020.

A spokesperson mentioned that each events ‘categorically and repeatedly’ denied the rumours, as did Schofield’s company on the time, YMU.

Nevertheless, the presenter made the bombshell confession to the Mail final evening that he had a relationship with a a lot youthful man who labored with him on This Morning whereas nonetheless married to spouse Stephanie Lowe.

The star additional confessed that he lied to his employer ITV, to his colleagues, his mates and his brokers at YMU.

Schofield’s former colleague Eamonn Holmes then took to social media to make a string of allegations, suggesting station bosses knew of claims in opposition to Schofield and ‘by no means as soon as took motion’.

Nevertheless, ITV got here out preventing at the moment with a defiant assertion distancing the channel from Schofield and the affair. 

A spokesperson mentioned: ‘Additional to our assertion final evening, ITV can verify that when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an worker of ITV first started to flow into in early 2020 ITV investigated.

‘Each events had been questioned and each categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip’s then company YMU.

‘As well as, ITV spoke to quite a lot of individuals who labored on This Morning and weren’t supplied with, and didn’t discover, any proof of a relationship past rumour and hearsay.

‘Phillip’s assertion yesterday reveals that he lied to individuals at ITV, from senior administration to fellow presenters, to YMU, to the media and to others over this relationship.’

This has been echoed by MailOnline columnist and GB Information host Dan Wootton, who mentioned the broadcaster now faces ‘enormous questions’.

He continued to say that there had been ‘widespread outrage that administration allowed this to go on for thus lengthy’. 

Wootton mentioned one of many station’s greatest stars contacted him to allege a ‘cover-up’ had taken place. 

In a second tweet, he went on to slam the broadcasters as ‘woke’.

He went on to induce all senior executives on the firm to step down – saying that it was the explanation he left ITV in 2019.

The declare has since been re-tweeted by ex-Unfastened Ladies host Carol McGiffin.

It comes after she hit out at Schofield for being ‘so b****y impolite’ final week.

Broadcaster and columnist Piers Morgan merely reshared the preliminary article from The Mail with a brief phrase to convey his shock: ‘Blimey…’  

And occasional This Morning presenter Carol Voderman mentioned on the BBC’s Have I Acquired Information For You on Friday evening that her cash is on Alison Hammond to switch Schofield. 

Requested by co-host Ian Hislop if the presenters will probably be ‘Holly n Carol’, she replied: ‘No. In all probability Holly and Alison, I’d have thought. That is the place I might put my cash.’ 

Host for the night Steph McGovern agreed, including: ‘I suppose it is all the time going to be actually tough, is not it, when there is a little bit of rift between a a lot cherished TV duo.’ 

Phillip Schofield, 61 shares emotional stroll with mum Pat within the West Nation after his brother Timothy was jailed for 12 years (pictured on Could 19 after stepping down from This Morning)

Schofield mentioned in a press release that he was ‘painfully acutely aware’ that he had lied to his employers and to his household (pictured along with his household on the Lilo And Stich premiere in 2002)

Questions have been requested about whether or not the executives on the high of ITV knew in regards to the relationship. 

An insider informed The Solar: ‘This goes proper to the highest. Very senior heads may roll. If there’s any recommendations of a cover-up they might be culpable. 

‘It is also doable that This Morning may find yourself getting the axe.’  

Chief Govt Carolyn McCall and her PR sidekick Paul Moore who she introduced along with her from Easyjet in 2018 had been operating the organisation on the time, together with Director of Tv Kevin Lygo.

Each Ms McCall and Lygo are understood to have been allies of Schofield and intensely supportive of him. 

Additionally round on the time as ITV’s head of daytime Emma Gormley. She was, and nonetheless is, the overseer of the channel’s 6am till 6pm programmes, which embrace Good Morning Britain, Lorraine and naturally, This Morning. 

Chief Govt Carolyn McCall (pictured) and her PR sidekick Paul Moore who she introduced along with her from Easyjet in 2018 had been operating the organisation on the time of the affair

Director of Tv at ITV, Kevin Lygo (pictured in 2019), who is known to have been an ally of Schofield 

Then there’s the present’s editor Martin Frizell, who was for thus a few years very near Schofield and for a few years was the one who ‘cleared up his presenter’s mess.’

There have, in fact, been many rumours about Schofield and his a lot youthful colleague swirling across the tv trade for a little bit over three years.

It’s thought to have all began in January 2020.

Phillip Schofield admitted on Friday to having a relationship with a a lot youthful man who labored with him on This Morning, and later mendacity about it. 

In a bombshell assertion to the Each day Mail, the veteran TV presenter admitted that he and the person started a relationship that was greater than a friendship. 

The ex-TV presenter describes this as ‘unwise however not unlawful’.

Schofield additional confessed that he lied to his employer ITV, to his colleagues, his mates and his brokers on the administration agency YMU.

He additionally lied to The Mail on Sunday, the Each day Mail’s sister paper, which first solely described his relationship with the youthful man earlier this month.

Schofield’s extraordinary assertion concludes weeks of more and more fevered hypothesis in each the TV trade and the broader nation about the way forward for his profession, following his sudden departure from the This Morning couch earlier this month.

He’s now anticipated to step again from public life, with a supply near the presenter admitting to The Solar: ‘There is no getting back from this.’ 

‘Those that have defended him are horrified to search out out it’s all true – he is been deceptive ITV and even his personal group for years.’ 

Final week Holmes tore into Phillip Schofield for claiming he was leaving of his personal accord after 20 years, declaring: ‘He was sacked’, because the crisis-hit present kicked off with a brief tribute to the star.

Reacting to newspaper headlines saying Schofield had stepped down, the GB Information breakfast present raged: ‘Oh please simply cease this. He was sacked. All this nonsense of “I’ve determined to step down”. I am positive you probably did – here is your P45 now step down’.

He additionally advised Holly Willoughby was being duplicitous when she claimed to be unhappy that Mr Schofield was leaving the hit ITV present after 20 years on the helm, including: ‘They deserve one another’. 

Holmes then went on to imitate Holly and mentioned: ‘And she or he says: ‘Oh, the sofa is not going to be the identical with out him being there’. Effectively she needed him not there.  So what’s she moaning about. They deserve one another I suppose’.

He went on: ‘Holly is being as false as he’s and no person is speaking in regards to the elephant within the room.

‘She says ‘”I thank him for all his data, expertise and humour”. All of the issues that she did not have when she got here to the present. 

‘Effectively it is true! I’d name that stabbing within the again.

Phillip Schofield has apologised to spouse Stephanie Lowe (left) who stood by him as he reveals affair with This Morning co-worker

Schofield’s extraordinary assertion concludes weeks of more and more fevered hypothesis (pictured with spouse Stephanie Lowe in 2021) 

The presenter included a public apology to his spouse and their two daughters within the assertion he supplied to the Mail 

In a bombshell assertion to the Each day Mail, the veteran TV presenter admitted that he and the person started a relationship that was greater than a friendship, whereas he was married to Stephanie Lowe (left, pictured in 2020)

‘I may provide you with an inventory of the shortage of kindness and lack of understanding from each of them. How they’d socialise, and the individuals round them. 

‘You simply have to take a look at my telephone, stuffed with people who find themselves glad to see the again of the 2 of them’.

Schofield’s exit from ITV apparently scotches plans for the ‘prime time’ present he was allegedly provided by the community as comfort for leaving This Morning after greater than 20 years on the present.

He had been as a consequence of current the distinguished British Cleaning soap Awards subsequent week – a job he had carried out since 2006. His assertion confirms he’ll not achieve this. 

With out these slick PR professionals behind him, and within the aftermath of this new assertion, the probabilities of him returning to the small display screen any time quickly look bleak (pictured in January on Dancing On Ice with Holly Willoughby) 

All this week, Schofield’s spinners had accomplished their finest to rescue him, optimistically making an attempt to say that he retained a vivid future in TV (with Stephanie Lowe in 2012)

In a bombshell assertion to the Each day Mail, the veteran TV presenter admitted that he and the person started a relationship that was greater than a friendship (pictured with This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby)

In his groveling apology, Schofield mentioned: ‘I’m making this assertion by way of the Each day Mail, to whom I’ve already apologised personally for deceptive, by way of my lawyer who I additionally misled, a few story [sic] which they needed to jot down about me a couple of days in the past.

‘The very first thing I wish to say is: I’m deeply sorry for having lied to them, and to many others a few relationship that I had with somebody engaged on This Morning. 

‘I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a youthful male colleague at This Morning. 

‘Opposite to hypothesis, while I met the person when he was a teen and was requested to assist him to get into tv, it was solely after he began to work on the present that it grew to become greater than a only a friendship. 

‘That relationship was unwise, however not unlawful. It’s now over…

‘I’m painfully acutely aware that I’ve lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and mates, to my brokers, to the media and due to this fact the general public and most significantly of all to my household. 

‘I’m so very, very sorry, as I’m for having been untrue to my spouse…

‘I’m resigning from ITV with instant impact, expressing my immense gratitude to them for all of the superb alternatives that they’ve given me.

‘I’ll mirror on my very unhealthy judgement in each collaborating within the relationship after which mendacity about it.’

The Mail is conscious of the youthful man’s identification, however has chosen to not identify him.

Expertise company YMU, who symbolize entertainers, athletes and musicians, dropped the previous This Morning presenter after 35 years following the bombshell revelation.

In a press release, Mary Bekhait, the Group CEO of YMU Group, mentioned: ‘Honesty and integrity are core values for YMU’s entire enterprise, defining every thing we do.

‘Expertise administration is a relationship primarily based completely on belief.

‘This week, we’ve discovered essential new details about our shopper Phillip Schofield.

‘These information contradicted what Phillip had beforehand informed YMU, in addition to the exterior advisors we had introduced in to assist him.

‘Consequently, on Thursday we agreed to half firm with Phillip, with instant impact.’