Jane McDonald will replace Phillip Schofield as the host of the British Soap Awards.
The former This Morning presenter stepped down from hosting the ceremony when he quit ITV, after admitting he had an affair with a younger male colleague while he was married.
Ahead of the awards show, which will take place in Manchester this Saturday, Jane was announced as the new host.
In a statement, the singer said: “Everyone knows how much I LOVE my soaps, this year I’ve been honoured to be mentioned in Corrie, EastEnders and Emmerdale so this is just a dream come true.”
“I can’t wait to see all our wonderful soap nominees and celebrate all their hard work with them – roll on the awards, I can’t wait!”
Last month, Phillip announced his departure from This Morning after 20 years at the helm, following reports of a strained relationship with his co-host Holly Willoughby.
Phillip has since parted ways with ITV entirely, after admitting to having an “unwise, but not illegal” affair with a younger man, who worked on the show as a runner.
The 61-year-old, who was still married to his wife Stephanie Lowe at the time, admitted he lied about the affair to ITV bosses, his agents and the media.
His statement read: “I am making this statement via the Daily Mail to whom I have already apologised personally for misleading, through my lawyer who I also misled, about a story which they wanted to write about me a few days ago.”
“The first thing I want to say is: I am deeply sorry for having lied to them, and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on This Morning. I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.”
“Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over.”
“When I chose to come out I did so entirely for my own wellbeing. Nobody ‘forced’ me out. Neither I nor anyone else, to my knowledge, has ever issued an injunction, super or otherwise, about my relationship with this colleague, he was never moved on or sacked by or because of me.”
“In an effort to protect my ex-colleague I haven’t been truthful about the relationship,” Phillip’s statement continued.
“But my recent, unrelated, departure from This Morning fuelled speculation and raised questions which have been impacting him, so for his sake it is important for me to be honest now.”
Phillip continued: “I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife.”
The 61-year-old also revealed that he has quit ITV altogether, stating: “I have therefore decided to step down from the British Soap Awards, my last public commitment, and am resigning from ITV with immediate effect expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me.”
“I will reflect on my very bad judgement in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it,” the 61-year-old continued.
“To protect his privacy, I am not naming this individual and my deepest wish is that both he and his family can now move on with their lives free from further intrusion, and that this statement will enable them to do so. I ask the media now to respect their privacy. They have done nothing wrong, and I ask that their privacy should be respected.”
Over the weekend, ITV confirmed they had investigated “rumours of a relationship” in 2020.
The broadcaster said in a statement: “Further to our statement last night, ITV can confirm that when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate in early 2020 ITV investigated.”
“Both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip’s then agency YMU.”
“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.”
“Phillip’s statement yesterday reveals that he lied to people at ITV, from senior management to fellow presenters, to YMU, to the media and to others over this relationship.”
