Phillip Schofield: ITV boss called to answer questions by MPs on safeguarding after star’s affair | Ents & Arts News

ITV’s chief government has been referred to as to provide proof in parliament concerning the broadcaster’s strategy to safeguarding and dealing with complaints, following Phillip Schofield’s departure.

Dame Carolyn McCall has been requested by the tradition, media and sport committee (CMS) to reply questions on Wednesday 14 June.

It comes after ITV introduced it had launched an exterior overview to determine the info across the studies of a relationship between presenter Schofield and a youthful worker on This Morning.

The committee is already set to query ITV group director of technique, coverage and regulation Magnus Brooke, alongside executives from Channel 4 and Channel 5, concerning the draft Media Invoice, in a separate session on Tuesday subsequent week.

Schofield final week admitted to an “unwise but not illegal” relationship with a youthful male colleague and stepped down from his roles with ITV. He was additionally dropped by expertise company YMU.

Following the admission, the 61-year-old was additionally dropped as an envoy for The Prince’s Belief charity, and Jane McDonald was confirmed to replace him as host of the British Soap Awards.

ITV introduced it had instructed a barrister to hold out an exterior overview of the scenario in a letter to Tradition Secretary Lucy Frazer, CMS committee chair Dame Caroline Dinenage, and Ofcom chief government Dame Melanie Dawes.

Learn extra on Phillip Schofield:
Timeline of ITV departure after colleague affair
Key extracts from ITV’s letter on external review
Eamonn Holmes alleges ‘total cover-up’

In a written response, Dame Caroline mentioned the media business’s “obligation of care in the direction of its workers” was “a matter of the best significance”.

She continued: “While the current protection focuses on the Schofield case, it additionally raises basic points about safeguarding and criticism dealing with each at ITV and extra extensively throughout the media.

“These points ought to, significantly within the case of public service broadcasters, be open to scrutiny. The general public should have confidence within the robustness of public service broadcasters’ safeguarding procedures.

“While these are points that we wish to focus on first with ITV, we will even contemplate them in our common scrutiny periods with different public service broadcasters, together with the BBC later this month and Channel 4 later within the yr.”

Following studies Dame Carolyn was requested to look on the beforehand scheduled session on Tuesday, it has now been confirmed that internet hosting the separate assembly on 14 June will permit subsequent week’s occasion to deal with “its supposed goal of scrutinising the federal government’s draft Media Invoice”.

How Phillip Schofield’s profession unravelled

Schofield initially mentioned he was leaving This Morning after more than two decades as a result of he had “turn into the story” following hypothesis of a rift between him and co-presenter Holly Willoughby. Stories of the rift got here after his brother was jailed for 12 years over child sex offences.

On the time of this primary announcement, ITV described Schofield as “palms down top-of-the-line broadcasters of his technology” and mentioned they might proceed to work with him on different tasks, together with the cleaning soap awards.

Nonetheless, he was dropped totally when particulars of the affair emerged the next week.

Willoughby, 41, is predicted to return to the present on Monday, when she returns from vacation.