Phillip Schofield – what did ITV know? The key questions as broadcaster’s bosses face MPs | Ents & Arts News

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

The broadcaster’s chief government 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 common counsel and firm secretary, will even give proof.

Schofield admitted an “unwise however not unlawful” affair with a youthful male colleague, after weeks of hypothesis a couple of feud together 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 Instances, presenter Jeremy Clarkson questioned the “berserk” response, saying Schofield is “solely responsible of being what he mentioned he was: homosexual”.

However the admission has raised considerations concerning the imbalance of energy and prompted questions on how a lot ITV knew concerning 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, came out as gay with an announcement on This Morning, supported by Willoughby, in 2020.

In a press release, 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.

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

“As well as, ITV spoke to a variety of individuals who labored on This Morning and weren’t supplied with, and didn’t discover, any proof of a relationship past rumour and hearsay,” the assertion mentioned.

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

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

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

Who’s Dame Carolyn McCall?

Dame Carolyn turned the primary feminine boss of ITV on the finish of 2017, transferring to the broadcaster after leaving her position as chief government of the EasyJet airline. Earlier than that, she ran the Guardian Media Group.

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

Dame Carolyn has overseen ITV throughout a troublesome 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.

Learn extra:
Holly Willoughby’s This Morning return statement
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 overview of the information surrounding the connection.

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

“She is going to overview our data and speak to folks concerned,” Dame Carolyn mentioned in a letter despatched to Tradition Secretary Lucy Frazer, tradition media and sport (CMS) committee chair Dame Caroline Dinenage, and Ofcom chief government Dame Melanie Dawes. “This work will even take into account our related processes and insurance policies and whether or not we have to change or strengthen any.”

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What occurs right this moment?

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

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

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

What had been the circumstances surrounding the youthful colleague’s transfer to Unfastened Ladies and, in a while, his departure from ITV?

No matter occurs, Dame Caroline has assured the questioning won’t be a “witch hunt” against Schofield.

Nevertheless, when requested by Sky Information if she had considerations about ITV’s dealing with of the scenario, she mentioned: “The very fact is that these massive public service broadcasters have these gods of tv, these extremely highly effective and profitable celebrities who do have unimaginable affect and energy, and my committee need to ensure that there are the appropriate office practices in place, the appropriate responsibility of care over junior employees members.

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

The listening to is because of start at 10am.