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‘IT’S DISGUSTING’
‘Absurd’ ITV probe into Phillip Schofield could have found 10 people in 1 day who knew about affair, insiders say
Insider's devastating insight into how claims against star host were investigated
ITV's probe into Phillip Schofield could have found 10 people in one day who knew about his affair, an insider has claimed.
The former This Morning staffer was speaking after the review yesterday suggested just one junior worker admitted to knowing about Schofield's relationship with a runner.
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The report and its findings have since been labelled "whitewash" and slammed as "utterly implausible" by fellow ITV workers.
The runner, who was at least 30 years Schofield's junior, started at ITV in 2017 and the presenter admitted they shared a moment in his dressing room that same year.
Rumours of the affair were said to have swirled "around the entire floor from 2019", yet just one person said they'd heard about it.
An insider, who worked for This Morning from 2018 to 2020, has now blasted the review - claiming not enough people were spoken to, and those who were must have been "scared to lose their jobs".
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The source told The Sun: “This ITV probe has been a complete whitewash. It’s disgusting.
"The fact that only 48 people were interviewed is a joke. When factoring in that some of them were presenters, agents, management - not many of the production team were spoken to."
The insider explained that at least 70 people working on the programme at any time - let alone "hundreds of people left the show to go to new jobs".
They continued: "I feel it has not been thorough at all.
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"The fact that only one person knew out of all of those people is frankly absurd.
"I was not contacted to speak and if asked, I would have spoken and told what I know."
The insider added: "Within a one-day investigation you could have found 10 people that knew.
"It seems the KC has just gone to people working there that are scared for their jobs. I do not think this has been a truly thorough investigation at all.
"It was a horrible toxic environment and this investigation doesn’t show that at all, it simply wasn’t done.”
The Sun has approached ITV for comment.
Other ITV staffers have shared similar disgust over the review - with one saying the rumours spread like wildfire.
They told The Sun: “Even talent - high profile names - were aware of the gossip even if they had no proof, or didn’t ask the right questions to the right people.
“It seems utterly implausible only one person knew. It’s a predictably sanitised version of events."
ITV today told The Sun that everyone had been invited to contribute to the review, and said that interviews were conducted confidentially.
The probe came after Schofield was axed from This Morning in May, then admitted he'd had the affair after rumors started circulating.
The channel then asked barrister Jane Mulcahy KC to lead a review into its handling of the relationship.
Phil, 61, and his young lover, a runner, refused to be quizzed.
It said that the runner "wanted to move on with his life and was not prepared to assist with" the review.
And a source close to Schofield has now revealed the reason for the former presenter avoiding taking part.
The review found that TV made “considerable efforts” to find out the truth about the relationship but was “unable to uncover the relevant evidence” until Schofield admitted it.
ITV chairman Andy Costlett yesterday said: “The KC review makes it clear that ITV’s management made considerable efforts to determine the truth about an alleged relationship between PS and Person X following media speculation.
"However, no concerns were reported and in the face of the denials of the individuals involved, ITV was unable to uncover the relevant evidence until PS’s admission in late May 2023.
"The KC makes it clear that the senior management of ITV and the senior team of This Morning were unaware of the nature of the relationship until PS’s statement in May 2023.
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"We also asked the KC to review how we acted towards Person X and the KC has found that the company provided significant support to him."
He added that "for the period under review there was 'no finding of a toxic culture and had there been one [she] would have said so".
Timeline
2017: Phillip Scofield and the runner share "a consensual moment" in his dressing room
April 17, 2023: Schofield returns to This Morning after his brother Tim’s sex-abuse conviction - but Holly is missing.
May 10: The Sun exclusively reveals Schofield and Holly are barely talking after insiders said their relationship had "cooled"
May 11: Schofield breaks his silence and dubs Holly his "rock" in a bid to mend their broken relationship.
May 15: The daytime TV pair are said to be "feuding" - after their on-screen chemistry seems off.
May 20: Phillip announces he would be stepping back from his role on This Morning
May 21: Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond replace the pair on This Morning
May 22: The pair pay tribute to Schofield on air - branding him "one of the best live TV broadcasters"
May 26: Schofield admits to having an affair with "much younger man" - and announces he's stepping down from ITV
May 27: ITV says it investigated "rumours of a relationship" between Schofield and a younger employee - but the pair "repeatedly denied" the affair. Then, Holly also accuses Schofield of lying to her about the affair
May 28: Former This Morning resident doctor Ranj Singh claims "the issues with This Morning go far beyond" Schofield
May 29: Minutes before This Morning begins, Schofield hits out at "the same handful of people with a grudge against me or the show" - seeing former colleague Eamonn Holmes hit back
May 30: Phillip Schofield is axed as ambassador for Prince’s Trust. Separately, it emerges that ITV bosses are due to appear before the culture, media and sports committee
May 31: It's revealed Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary are to be quizzed along with Holly Willoughby and the rest of the show’s presenting roster
June 1: Schofield exclusively tells The Sun he feels "utterly broken and ashamed" by the affair
June 6: On her return to the This Morning sofa after two weeks away, Willoughby told viewers she had been left feeling "shaken, troubled, let down" following revelations over Schofield's affair, leading to his departure. ITV director grilled over Phillip Schofield row and gets mocked by MP who quotes Holly and asks ‘are you ok?’
October 10: Holly Willoughby quits This Morning, she says, "for me and my family"
December 7: ITV review is released - reveals just one other person knew about the affair
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