ITV bosses are facing questioning over Phillip Schofield’s exit.
Last month, the 61-year-old announced his immediate departure from This Morning amid reports of a “feud” between himself and his co-host Holly Willoughby.
The TV personality subsequently admitting to having an affair with a younger man.
ITV were later forced to deny claims they knew about Phillip’s affair with the younger man, whom they are naming ‘Person X’.
At the time, the broadcaster issued a statement in which they claimed they had investigated the incident when rumours of the affair “first began to circulate in early 2020”.
In a letter, seen by the PA news agency, Dame Carolyn McCall instructed a barrister to carry out an external review of the facts surrounding their handling of Phillip’s affair.
The letter was sent to Culture Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Culture, Media and Sport Committee chair Dame Caroline Dinenage and Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes.
On Wednesday, ITV bosses faced questioning in the House of Commons, in regards to the scandal surrounding Phillip and Person X in recent weeks.
Dame Caroline Dineage first questioned Dame Carolyn McCall regarding claims from a number of people – including Piers Morgan and Eamonn Holmes, that “everyone knew” about the affair.
Dame Carolyn told the hearing that people who claimed they knew what was happening would only have heard rumours.
She explained that if anyone had provided evidence, ITV would have launched a formal investigation, because the imbalance of power “makes it deeply inappropriate”.
ITV’s general counsel Kyla Mullins claimed Person X was questioned about the affair rumours 12 times; however, both he and Phillip repeatedly denied it.
She said no one came forward with evidence and that conversations continued until this May, when the 61-year-old left This Morning.
Speaking of the rumours surrounding Phillip, Dame Carolyn said: “There was a lot of very very horrible stuff out there.”
She said ITV bosses needed to establish whether it was just rumour, or whether it was something “we had to worry about”.
Dame Carolyn admitted that while there was no investigation, there was an “ongoing review” of the situation every time there were periods of “intense speculation”.
ITV boss Kevin Lygo revealed that when Phillip asked to come out live on This Morning, he asked whether there was any reason behind this decision.
He claimed the 61-year-old said there was nothing specific, and that it was a private matter.
Dame Carolyn confirmed ITV are still in touch with Phillip, explaining that he’s having counselling.
Person X left ITV in 2021, but has been receiving support “as recently as last week”, she added.
Asked whether there’s anything stopping the former ITV employee from speaking out on the situation, Kyla Mullins revealed there’s “no impediment”.
There are no NDAs, no gagging orders, “nothing in place that would stop him speaking out,” adding that when he left ITV, he had a standard settlement agreement.
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