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ITV has stated it investigated “rumours of a relationship” between Phillip Schofield and a youthful worker – however the pair “repeatedly denied” the affair.
The assertion got here after questions have been raised over what network bosses knew concerning the conduct of the veteran broadcaster.
Fellow former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes had stated Schofield was “not the one responsible social gathering” and claimed high administration “knew what kind of man he was”.
Holmes spoke out after veteran broadcaster Schofield admitted having an “unwise, but not illegal” affair with a a lot youthful male ITV worker whereas nonetheless married and mendacity about it.
Writing on Twitter, Holmes stated: “Schofield has lastly been caught out… However he is not the one responsible social gathering. 4 excessive members of ITV administration knew what kind of man he was.”
Schofield give up the broadcaster on Friday.
His confession got here in an announcement printed within the Every day Mail shortly earlier than his brokers, YMU, additionally revealed they were parting company with him with immediate effect.
In response to mounting strain on the broadcaster, an ITV spokesperson stated: “Additional to our assertion final evening, ITV can affirm that when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an worker of ITV first started to flow into in early 2020 ITV investigated.
“Each events have been questioned and each categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip’s then company YMU.
“As well as, ITV spoke to quite a lot 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.
“Phillip’s assertion yesterday reveals that he lied to folks at ITV, from senior administration to fellow presenters, to YMU, to the media and to others over this relationship.”
Evaluation:
Admission should kill off his career – but will his star pals stand by him?
In one other Twitter submit, Holmes referred to how Schofield apparently lied to him and his spouse, presenter Ruth Langsford.
He added: “Ruth and I deceived and lied to. Someday I’ll inform the story. We had no difficulty with him being homosexual, solely assist.
“What transpired took us for fools. The person instructed us full lies and we sadly believed him.”
Individually, BBC presenter and former ITV newscaster Andrea Catherwood tweeted: “Much more questions on who knew what when at ITV to be answered after this…”
Dermot O’Leary, who has been tipped to interchange the previous This Morning star stated: “It is not acceptable for me to remark.”
Schofield, 61, left the daytime show last week.
‘It’s now over’
In an announcement on Friday, Schofield stated he was “deeply sorry” for mendacity concerning the relationship.
He stated: “I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a youthful male colleague at This Morning.
“Opposite to hypothesis, while I met the person when he was a teen and was requested to assist him to get into tv, it was solely after he began to work on the present that it grew to become greater than only a friendship.
“That relationship was unwise, however not unlawful. It’s now over.”
It’s understood the youthful colleague, who isn’t a public determine, didn’t need the connection to be made public.
Learn extra:
Schofield leaves This Morning after more than 20 years
Timeline of departure and rumours of rift with co-host Holly
Statements from presenter and his agents in full
The affair passed off earlier than Mr Schofield publicly got here out as homosexual in 2020, and whereas he was nonetheless married to his spouse Stephanie Lowe.
In a damning assertion, his former brokers YMU Group said “honesty and integrity” were core values of their business and that their relationships are “based mostly completely on belief”.
Schofield’s exit from This Morning got here after weeks of rumours of a rift between him and his co-presenter Holly Willoughby.
Studies of behind-the-scenes issues between the pair surfaced after his brother Tim Schofield was convicted of kid intercourse offences.
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