The stars who are yet to speak out about Phillip Schofield's affair
As Dr Ranj slams ‘toxic’ culture on This Morning, the stars who are yet to speak out about Phillip Schofield’s affair with colleague – amid calls for probe into complaints at ITV
- The TV doctor said he thought ‘long and hard’ before releasing a statement
- Comments come as Schofield’s ex-colleagues reportedly threatening to quit
Chaos has engulfed This Morning since details of Phillip Schofield’s affair with a significantly younger ITV male colleague was confirmed – before Dr Ranj Singh slammed a ‘toxic’ culture within the show.
The TV doctor said he thought ‘long and hard’ before releasing a statement claiming he was ‘managed out’ last year after taking his concerns to ‘the top’ of ITV.
His comments come as Schofield’s former colleagues have reportedly threatened to quit amid the toxic fallout, with one household name said to have already drafted a resignation statement.
Some people are also now turning down approaches to appear as guests on the show, the Mail understands.
Schofield today spoke out for the first time since leaving the show, slamming ‘a handful of people’ with ‘persistently loud voices’, and rejecting Dr Ranj’s claims of a ‘toxic’ culture.
The fallout surrounding Phillip Schofield’s affair with a younger colleague has caused chaos at This Morning
Dr Ranj said he had taken his concerns to ‘the top’ of ITV but that he felt he had been ‘managed out’
Who could replace Phillip Schofield on This Morning following the revelations, according to bookmakers
Instead, he said: ‘Now I no longer work on This Morning I am free to say this. I hope you have noticed that it’s the same handful of people with a grudge against me or the show who seem to have the loudest voice.
‘This Morning IS the best show to work on, with the best people. In all the years I worked there there was no toxicity.
‘You can listen to those persistently loud voices if you like. But the thousands of guests over the years, thousands of staff and crew, hundreds of presenters and contributors all know it, it IS a family of wonderful, talented, kind, hard, working people.’
But while some of ITV’s stars have spoken out on the issue, others have remained silent as the future of the show hangs in the balance.
Holly Willoughby
Schofield’s former co-presenter is determined to fight to keep her spot on This Morning’s sofa and hopes to ‘ride out’ the ongoing scandal.
And it appears Britain’s top commercial broadcaster has backed the show’s female star after reports of a rift led to the departure of Mr Schofield after more than 20 years on the show.
Holly is close friends with Alison Hammond as well as several of the other favourites to replace Schofield, including Dermot O’Leary and Rylan Clark, who announced a break from his BBC Radio 2 show on the day Phil announced his departure. She also has the full support of Martin Frizell, This Morning’s veteran editor.
It appears ITV will continue with Holly Willoughby following reports of a rift between her and Schofield
The relationship between the two presenters, once feted as the closest on TV, has broken down, according to reports
Willoughby said in a brief statement on Saturday that she asked Schofield directly if the news was true and that it had been ‘very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie’.
In a story shared to her 8.3million Instagram followers, Willoughby said it had ‘taken time to process’ the bombshell revelations about her ex co-host.
The This Morning presenter added that she had questioned Schofield about the affair herself when the rumours first came to her attention.
‘When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not. It’s been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie.’
Sources close to the presenter said it had been a ‘traumatic’ revelation for the This Morning host and a ‘time of real sadness’ as Schofield ‘was her very close friend’.
Willoughby has currently been off-air since Schofield’s sudden departure, however, this was due to planned holiday for the school half term break. The presenter of 14-years is expected to make a return to the programme on June 5.
Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond
The pair stepped in host the programme today amid the chaos that has engulfed ITV since Friday.
O’Leary appeared to reference claims of ‘toxicity’ at the beginning of the show, saying: ‘Now, we all know we happen to be in the news at the moment and of course we appreciate that but just from both of us, the whole team here, the crew, the guys downstairs – we love making this show for all of you.’
‘This is a happy place to work, I enjoy coming in here and have done since I began coming in. We are happy people in a happy place.’
Hammond added: ‘Yes we really do and that’s exactly what we’re going to continue to do.’
Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary hosted This Morning today. It was the first episode since Schofield admitted to having an affair on Friday
But the pair were said to be upset at being drawn into the situation over the weekend.
A source told MailOnline: ‘Obviously lots of people have been upset on and off camera following Phillip’s extraordinary statement on Friday. It’s fair to say they feel disappointed.’
Days earlier, they had paid tribute to ‘top broadcaster’ Schofield while opening their usual end-of-week show, just 24 hours after what would be his final appearance on This Morning following 21 years in front of the camera.
Gyles Brandreth
A regular guest on the show, Brandreth has not commented directly on Schofield’s affair.
But joining O’Leary and Hammond on the show today to look at the news headlines, Brandreth followed the presenters in saying This Morning is a ‘happy place’ to work.
A regular guest on the show, Brandreth has not yet commented directly on Schofield’s affair with a significantly younger colleague
Gyles Brandreth: ‘Can I say that as well? This is a happy place to work.
‘I enjoy coming in here and have done since I started coming here. We are happy people in a happy place.’
Dr Ranj Singh
In a lengthy Instagram post, Dr Ranj Singh said: ‘I’ve thought long and hard about posting this. If I’m honest, I really wish I didn’t have to. But I’ve got to clarify some things that have ben reported about me, and in light of recent events, I finally feel like I might be believed…
‘To the journalists who have offered me money this weekend to share my experience of working at This Morning, thank you but it would go against my principles to “sell my story” – especially about something like this.
‘However, given that ITV have commented on my departure, I feel it’s only fair for me to do so too to avoid any further conjecture.
Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby with Dr Ranj on This Morning in 2019. The TV doctor said he felt he had to speak up
In a lengthy Instagram post, Dr Ranj Singh said he had ‘thought long and hard’ before weighing in on the ongoing scandal
The television medic confirmed that he had taken concerns about the behaviour of editors and senior producers to ITV and had then seen his screentime drop
‘I was on the show for 10 years and I genuinely loved and valued working there. However over time I grew increasingly worried about how things were behind-the-scenes and how people, including myself, were being treated.
‘I didn’t know the truth about what was going on with Philip [sic], but I do know the issues with TM go far beyond him. It takes more than one person to create a culture.’
The television medic confirmed that he had taken concerns about the behaviour of editors and senior producers to ITV and had then seen his screentime drop.
‘So I did what I thought was right and, as ITV confirmed last night, I raised my concerns with Emma Gormley – especially given that my job is to look after people’s wellbeing and I had been heavily involved in diversity, anti-bullying and mental health projects across the channel.
‘I then found myself being used less and less,’ the medic said online. He added that he had felt ‘managed out’ and slammed the culture at the show as ‘toxic’.
‘I even took my concerns directly to the top of ITV: the culture at This Morning has become toxic, no longer aligned with ITV values, and I felt like because I whistle-blew I was managed out.
‘But as history and experience have taught us, things like bullying and discrimination are very hard to prove, particularly in hindsight and when the “people in power” control the narrative. As we’ve seen, no review of investigation is foolproof.
‘Still, I was assured that certain things were going to be addressed and changes made.
‘I haven’t worked on the show since… and I am not the only one who has spoken up or experienced similar.’
Dr Ranj said the ‘whole process’ had affected his mental health but that he was happy to have found his feet again.
Rochelle Humes
The singer, 34, has not spoken out about Schofield’s affair since the revelations emerged on Friday.
Following his departure last week, prior to the news, she paid tribute and thanked him for being a ‘fountain of knowledge and laughter’.
Rochelle Humes pictured alongside Phillip Schofield while taking on This Morning host duties last month
Rochelle (pictured hosting This Morning on April 20) took to Instagram to pay tribute to Schofield before the revelations emerged
In a statement posted on her Instagram, Rochelle said: ‘I’ve proudly been a part of the This Morning family for almost 10 years and over the last few, it has been an absolutely pleasure learning so much from you.’
She added that she has ‘big love’ for Phil.
Josie Gibson
Josie Gibson has yet to speak out on Schofield’s affair with a much younger ITV colleague.
She has been active on her Instagram account, sharing a number of quotes to her followers.
Josie Gibson (pictured on the This Morning set on April 27) is yet to speak out following news of Schofield’s affair
One read: ‘Remember, being happy doesn’t mean you have it all. It simply means you’re thankful for all you have.’
Another read: ‘I think the most beautiful thing in the world is watching the light come on in someone’s eyes, after they have been lost in the dark for so long.’
Craig Doyle
The Irish presenter, 52, is best known as a presenter for BT Sport where he covers the Rugby Union and MotoGP.
Craig Doyle (pictured alongside Alison Hammond while hosting This Morning last wee) has also been tight-lipped
He was praised by fans after he stood in for O’Leary on Wednesday’s episode of the show.
But Doyle is yet to comment on Schofield’s affair amid calls from fans for him to be the permanent replacement should the show continue.
Rylan Clark
Rylan shared a cryptic photograph on Friday, just minutes after Phillip Schofield quit ITV.
The former X Factor star, 34, took to his Instagram Stories where he posted a selfie showing himself with a smug smile while holding up a peace sign with his fingers.
Rylan, 34, shared a cryptic photograph on Friday, just minutes after Phillip Schofield admitted to having an affair with a young male This Morning colleague
Rylan, who has previously co-hosted This Morning with Phillip Schofield, insisted the ‘tide is turning’ on two-faced TV stars in comments made just two weeks ago (pictured in 2019)
Radio 2 presenter Rylan, who sometimes stands in on This Morning when Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby are away, also insisted the ‘tide is turning’ on two-faced TV stars in comments he made just two weeks ago.
Andi Peters
Also said to be in the running to replace Schofield, Andi Peters has not addressed Schofield’s affair.
Andi Peters, who is in the bookmakers’ running to replace Schofield, has not commented on the affair
He featured on This Morning as part of a guest double act alongside Josie Gibson over the Christmas holidays.
The TV personality also currently stars on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Take Away and hosts the competition segment on Good Morning Britain.
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