ITV have responded to claims This Morning has been axed, following Phillip Schofield’s shock departure.
The 61-year-old hosted the popular show alongside Holly Willoughby for 13 years, before stepping down earlier this month amid rumours of a feud between the pair.
Phillip has since parted ways with ITV entirely, after admitting to having an affair with a young male, who worked on the show as a runner, while he was still married to his wife of 30 years – Stephanie Lowe.
The Sunday People reported today that ITV will axe This Morning.
However, a spokesperson for ITV shut down the speculation, telling broadcaster Scott Bryan: “This Morning is not under review and the show will be back on Monday.”
It is understood that Holly will return to This Morning on June 5th, after taking time off to spend with her children for their half-term break.
It has not yet been revealed who will replace Phillip on the show as Holly’s co-host, but Dermot O’Leary is the bookies current favourite.
It comes after ITV shut down speculation they knew about Phillip’s affair with his younger colleague.
The broadcaster said in a statement on Saturday: “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.”
On Friday, Phillip confessed that he lied about the affair to ITV, his colleagues, his friends and his agents at YMU.
The TV personality also confessed to lying to The Mail on Sunday, which published the story earlier this month.
He said: “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. 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.”
“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.”
Holly reacted to news of Phillip’s affair in a statement shared via her Instagram Story on Saturday.
She said: “It’s taken time to process yesterday’s news.”
“When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not.”
“It’s been very hurtful to find out this was a lie. Holly x.”
