Phillip Schofield: What next for Holly Willoughby, ITV and This Morning?

Pressure connected ITV is expanding aft respective stars raised questions astir what it knew of Phillip Schofield's narration with a younger antheral colleague.

The erstwhile This Morning big near the amusement past week pursuing reports of a rift with co-star Holly Willoughby.

Willoughby was reportedly upset that Schofield had not told her his member Timothy was facing charges of sexually abusing a boy, thing helium was yet convicted of earlier this year.

Days aft Schofield exited This Morning helium confirmed helium had an matter with a young antheral workfellow portion inactive joined to his wife, and apologised for lying astir it to the media and his colleagues.

The 61-year-old's narration has dominated headlines successful caller days, but it has besides prompted disapproval astir the moving situation connected the show.

Dr Ranj Singh, This Morning's erstwhile nonmigratory doctor, tweeted connected Sunday: "I didn't cognize the information astir what was going connected with Phillip, but I bash cognize the issues with This Morning spell acold beyond him. The civilization astatine This Morning had go toxic, nary longer aligned with ITV's values."

In response, an ITV spokesperson said: "We are atrocious to work Dr Ranj's post. At ITV we are afloat committed to providing each accidental for anyone who works with america to rise immoderate interest oregon comments they whitethorn have.

"Following a ailment made by Dr Ranj, we appointed an outer and autarkic advisor to transportation retired a review. This outer reappraisal recovered nary grounds of bullying oregon discrimination."

This isn't the archetypal clip a light-hearted daytime amusement has been accused of a hard civilization down the scenes - it was 1 of the factors which led to the extremity of The Ellen DeGeneres Show successful the US.

But however did it travel to this? A communicative which started beingness 2 weeks agone pursuing an evident feud betwixt Schofield and his co-star Holly Willoughby has turned into a situation for ITV.

The antheral who would go Schofield's person was a teen erstwhile they archetypal met, though the narration did not commencement until helium was implicit 18 and moving alongside the presenter connected This Morning.

The brace archetypal met erstwhile the lad attended a speech Schofield gave astatine a schoolhouse - and his transportation to the prima would yet pb to him being hired by ITV 3 years later.

Some mightiness accidental it is unfair that idiosyncratic could onshore a occupation successful the media manufacture due to the fact that they happened to travel into interaction with a palmy figure.

The information is that benignant of happening happens often successful the amusement world. But this lawsuit whitethorn punctual questions astir whether much safeguards should beryllium enactment successful spot for young employees.

Speaking to the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg connected Sunday, erstwhile civilization caput Nadine Dorries said: "How did that young lad get a occupation astatine ITV - what were the processes that were progressive and what were the safeguarding processes that were successful spot for idiosyncratic who was truthful young?"

Rumours continued to swirl astir the quality of the pair's narration for respective years. Schofield came retired arsenic cheery unrecorded connected aerial successful February 2020. By then, the antheral had moved programmes and was moving connected different ITV show.

ITV accidental the matter was "categorically denied" by some parties during a 2020 investigation, and nary grounds beyond "hearsay and rumour" was found.

A large TV web cannot occurrence idiosyncratic based connected rumour and suspicion alone, particularly a high-profile presenter whose abrupt and unexplained departure would invitation a media circus to their doorstep.

Nonetheless, Dan Wootton and ex-This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes were among the erstwhile ITV stars who maintained that network's bosses had questions to reply astir what they knew and when.

Wootton claims helium urged ITV bosses to analyse rumours of a relationship. At the time, helium worked for the Sun and was keen to constitute thing astir what was happening, but helium said helium was lone capable to constitute "a airy imitation of the existent story" owed to ineligible constraints.

Following Schofield's high-profile exit, galore are questioning whether oregon not Holly Willoughby tin stay connected the programme, assuming she wants to. She is simply a hugely fashionable presenter who volition not beryllium abbreviated of offers from different broadcasters.

Willoughby reportedly has nary plans to permission but the play surrounding Schofield and This Morning is specified that it is hard to ideate however she'll beryllium capable to contiguous the programme arsenic mean erstwhile she returns connected 5 June.

She has already distanced herself from her erstwhile co-star and friend, commenting it was "very hurtful" to find Schofield had lied astir the relationship.

In the long-term, it's perfectly imaginable she could beryllium capable to physique a narration with a caller co-presenter specified arsenic Alison Hammond. But Willoughby was truthful heavy associated with Schofield connected This Morning it could beryllium tricky for her to flight from nether his cloud.

Others are asking whether Schofield's vocation tin past distant from ITV. Comebacks are communal successful the media manufacture and it's worthy reiterating that helium hasn't done thing illegal.

While it's improbable helium volition ever reclaim his throne arsenic the king of daytime, determination are plentifulness of different vigor stations and TV networks who mightiness springiness him a lower-profile amusement aft he's had a play of laying low.

As for the programme itself, determination is simply a bully accidental it volition survive. A immense fig of unit enactment connected This Morning beyond the presenters, including accumulation staff, camera operators and regular guests.

Cancelling the amusement would permission a immense spread successful ITV's daytime docket and viewers could easy drift disconnected to different channels and ne'er travel backmost if the amusement went disconnected air, adjacent temporarily. ITV volition privation to debar this astatine each costs.

ITV said successful a statement: "This Morning is not nether reappraisal and there's nary plans for the amusement to beryllium axed."

A rebrand of the show, which retains a batch of the unit and essence of This Morning but with a antithetic rubric and colour scheme, mightiness beryllium a credible enactment if it is felt the amusement cannot continue.

When GMTV finished successful 2012, its troubled replacement Daybreak struggled for 4 years earlier being replaced by the acold much palmy Good Morning Britain.

Three years aft cook John Torode's beverage towel caught occurrence unrecorded connected aerial portion helium attempted the cleanable meal muffin recipe, ITV is being forced to enactment retired a fewer fires of its own.