Phillip Schofield branded Eamonn Holmes an “angry person” as he addressed criticism of This Morning.
The 61-year-old announced his immediate departure from the ITV morning show amid rumours of a “feud” with Holly Willoughby.
On May 29, Phillip spoke out after former This Morning star Dr Ranj Singh slammed the show in an explosive statement on social media.
In a statement shared to his Instagram story, Phillip wrote: “Now I no longer work on @thismorning I am free to say this. I hope you have noticed that it’s the same handful of people with a grudge against me or the show who seem to have the loudest voice.”
“This morning IS the best show to work on, with the best people. In all the years I worked there there was no toxicity. You can listen to those persistently loud voices if you like.”
“But the thousands of guests over the years, thousands of staff and crew, hundreds of presenters and contributors all know, it IS a family of wonderful, talented, kind, hard working people.”
Addressing Phillip’s statement about a “toxic culture” behind the scenes of This Morning, Eamonn later disputed: “I think that Phillip is absolutely right about toxicity. But my friend, the toxicity is not with me, Dan Wootton, or anyone else, the toxicity is with you.”
“People would avoid him in the corridor – he didn’t look at anybody,” Eamonn continued to claim. “He didn’t know anybody’s name.”
In a new interview with the BBC, Phillip explained that he’s “never abused his power anywhere”, and insisted he’s not a “bully”.
“You read the things you are supposed to be. I don’t lord it over TV studios. Everyone is a friend,” he told the broadcaster.
“I’ve had texts from people I worked with saying ‘Oh my God’ I can’t believe they are saying this, we love working with you.'”
“I snapped once at one of the producers around the time I came out and after the meeting I went and apologised. It’s not me, I don’t do that. I’m not rude on the studio floor,” Phillip continued.
Addressing the criticism from his This Morning co-stars, the TV personality said: “Some people may be toxic, and see toxicity everywhere because that’s the lens they are looking at the world.”
“There is no toxicity, there is no bullying, there is no discrimination at This Morning.”
Journalist Amol Rajan then questioned: “If there is no toxicity why would Dr Ranj make a formal complaint at the highest levels of ITV about some individuals behaviour and as he described it ‘the environment’ at This Morning?”
Mr Rajan continued to probe: “Why would former staffers be contacting Eamonn Holmes to say that they signed non-disclosure agreements to ‘cover up the bullying and power abuse.'”
“I am unaware of any of that,” Phillip responded. “All I see is angry people shouting about a show they aren’t on any more.”
“The show that I love and the show that I have left I have never seen [any toxicity] from my position or heard it.”
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