This Morning 'could face the AXE amid Phillip Schofield affair'

2023-05-27

‘Very senior heads could roll’: This Morning ‘could face the AXE if it emerges show bosses ‘covered up’ Phillip Schofield’s affair with younger male ITV colleague’

This Morning reportedly could face the axe if it emerges that show bosses ‘covered up’ Phillip Schofield’s affair with a younger, male ITV colleague.

On Friday, the presenter, 61, quit ITV with immediate effect after admitted to cheating on wife Stephanie with the man, while he admitted deceiving his ITV employees and colleagues about his affair.

Phillip has now resigned from ITV and will not host what was his last remaining TV appointment, the British Soap Awards, and has been dropped by his agents at YMU.

And while Phillip’s 40-year career lays in tatters, it is now said that This Morning also faces the chop as senior bosses at the programme come under pressure to reveal what they knew about Phil’s affair with the young runner.

The Sun reports that the jobs of top bosses at the ITV show could be in jeopardy and that ‘very senior heads could roll’ if it transpired that they kept the presenter’s secret unwraps.

Difficult times: This Morning reportedly could face the axe if it emerges that show bosses ‘covered up’ Phillip Schofield’s affair with a younger, male ITV colleague

Uh oh: While Phillip’ career lays in tatters, it is now said that This Morning also faces the chop as senior bosses at the programme come under pressure to reveal what they knew about Phil’s affair with the young runner (the This Morning cast in 2022)

A source told the publication: ‘This goes right to the top. Very senior heads could roll. If there’s any suggestions of a cover-up they could be culpable.

‘It’s also possible that This Morning could end up getting the axe.’

MailOnline have contacted ITV and This Morning representatives for comment.

Phillip stepped down last weekend after more than 20 years on the airwaves and confirmed the affair in a statement to the Mail on Friday.

He has resigned from ITV and will not host the British Soap Awards and has been dropped by his agents at YMU ‘with immediate effect’.

In a groveling statement, the former ITV presenter 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 [sic] 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.

Statement: Television presenter Phillip quit the ITV programme last Saturday before he sensationally confessed to the Mail on Friday he’d had an affair with a young male colleague

More trouble? ‘This goes right to the top. Very senior heads could roll. If there’s any suggestions of a cover-up they could be culpable’ (Phillip pictured with This Morning editor Martin Frizell)

‘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 a just a friendship.

‘That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over…

‘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…

‘I 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.’

An ITV Spokesperson said on Friday evening: ‘We are deeply disappointed by the admissions of deceit made tonight by Phillip Schofield.

‘The relationships we have with those we work with are based on trust. Philip made assurances to us which he now acknowledges were untrue and we feel badly let down.

Statement: Television presenter Phillip quit the ITV programme last Saturday before he sensationally confessed to the Mail on Friday he’d had an affair with a young male colleague

On a break: Holly is currently taking two weeks off from This Morning before returning on June 5 with other members of the ITV family (Phillip and Holly seen together during his last episode of This Morning on Thursday 18 May 2023)

‘We accept his resignation from ITV and therefore can confirm that he will not be appearing on ITV as had previously been stated.’

Following his statement, Phillip has also parted company with his management team YMU after 35 years.

Mary Bekhait, the Group CEO of YMU Group, said: ‘Honesty and integrity are core values for YMU’s whole business, defining everything we do. Talent management is a relationship based entirely on trust.

‘This week, we have learned important new information about our client Phillip Schofield. These facts contradicted what Phillip had previously told YMU, as well as the external advisors we had brought in to support him.

Phillip Schofield’s statement to The Daily Mail in full

‘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.

‘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.

‘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.’

‘As a result, on Thursday we agreed to part company with Phillip, with immediate effect.’

Phillip’s extraordinary statement concludes weeks of increasingly fevered speculation in both the TV industry and the wider country about the future of his career, following his sudden departure from the This Morning sofa earlier this month.

His exit from ITV apparently scotches plans for the ‘prime time’ show he was allegedly offered by the network as consolation for leaving This Morning after more than 20 years on the show.

He had been due to present the prestigious British Soap Awards next week – a role he had performed since 2006. His statement confirms he will no longer do so.

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