Phillip Schofield – what did ITV know? The key questions as broadcaster’s bosses face MPs

Following Phillip Schofield’s dramatic exit from This Morning, ITV bosses are actually set to face questions from MPs.

The broadcaster’s chief govt Dame Carolyn McCall will seem at a parliamentary committee this morning to reply questions on its method to safeguarding and dealing with complaints.

Kevin Lygo, ITV‘s managing director for media and leisure, and Kyla Mullins, the channel’s normal counsel and firm secretary, can even give proof.

Schofield admitted an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a youthful male colleague, after weeks of hypothesis a couple of feud along with his This Morning co-presenter Holly Willoughby.

The 61-year-old later clarified in an interview that the colleague was 20 when the connection began, however they first met when the youthful man was 15.

Given they had been each consenting adults on the time Schofield says the connection started, some have criticised the inquiry and the headlines the presenter’s departure from ITV has generated. Writing for The Times, presenter Jeremy Clarkson questioned the “berserk” response, saying Schofield is “only guilty of being what he said he was: gay”.

But the admission has raised considerations in regards to the imbalance of energy and prompted questions on how a lot ITV knew in regards to the relationship – Schofield has insisted that neither bosses nor Willoughby had been conscious.

What did ITV know?

Following Schofield’s admission of the affair, ITV has mentioned it investigated “rumours of a relationship” involving a youthful worker – however the pair “categorically and repeatedly denied” the affair.

This was across the time the presenter, who has been married to his spouse Stephanie Lowe since 1993, got here out as homosexual with an announcement on This Morning, supported by Willoughby, in 2020.

In an announcement, ITV mentioned each Schofield and the male colleague had been questioned in 2020 however each denied the “rumours”, as did the star’s company, YMU – who’ve now dropped him.

Read extra on Phillip Schofield:
What have we realized from star’s interviews?
The timeline of presenter’s ITV departure

“In addition, ITV spoke to a number of people who worked on This Morning and were not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour,” the assertion mentioned.

It went on to say Schofield had “lied to people at ITV, from senior management to fellow presenters, to YMU, to the media and to others”.

However, former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes has accused the broadcaster of a “total cover-up”.

When requested by Sky News if errors had been made of their 2020 investigation, Mr Lygo replied: “No.”

Who is Dame Carolyn McCall?

Dame Carolyn grew to become the primary feminine boss of ITV on the finish of 2017, shifting to the broadcaster after leaving her position as chief govt of the EasyJet airline. Before that, she ran the Guardian Media Group.

She was awarded her damehood in 2016 for companies to the airline business.

Dame Carolyn has overseen ITV throughout a tough interval that has included Piers Morgan quitting Good Morning Britain, the axing of The Jeremy Kyle Show, and the suicides of two Love Island contestants and the present’s presenter Caroline Flack.

Read extra:
Holly Willoughby’s This Morning return assertion
This Morning editor says scores are being settled

Following the fall-out from Schofield’s affair admission, she instructed a barrister to hold out an exterior evaluate of the details surrounding the connection.

Jane Mulcahy KC, of Blackstone Chambers, will conduct this.

“She will review our records and talk to people involved,” Dame Carolyn mentioned in a letter despatched to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, tradition media and sport (CMS) committee chair Dame Caroline Dinenage, and Ofcom chief govt Dame Melanie Dawes. “This work will also consider our relevant processes and policies and whether we need to change or strengthen any.”

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What occurs at present?

Dame Carolyn, Mr Lygo and Ms Mullins will seem earlier than the CMS committee to reply questions in regards to the scandal.

MPs will need to know whether or not senior executives knew in regards to the relationship, and the way the youthful colleague got here to get the job on This Morning within the first place.

Were there techniques in place to guard younger members of employees from any potential manipulation or abuse of energy from these greater up?

What had been the circumstances surrounding the youthful colleague’s transfer to Loose Women and, afterward, his departure from ITV?

Whatever occurs, Dame Caroline has assured the questioning will not be a “witch hunt” in opposition to Schofield.

However, when requested by Sky News if she had considerations about ITV’s dealing with of the scenario, she mentioned: “The fact is that these big public service broadcasters have these gods of television, these incredibly powerful and successful celebrities who do have incredible influence and power, and my committee want to make sure that there are the right workplace practices in place, the right duty of care over junior staff members.

“They (celebrities) do have the potential energy over different individuals’s careers, and we need to be sure that the whole lot is in place that forestalls that being abused in any manner.”

The listening to is because of start at 10am.