This Morning staff feared for jobs if they spoke out over Phillip Schofield’s affair with young runner, ITV probe finds

THIS Morning staff feared for their jobs if they spoke out over Phillip Schofield’s affair, an ITV probe has found.

The channel was accused of a whitewash over its long-awaited report into Phillip Schofield’s relationship with a young runner on This Morning.

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The probe said ITV needed to give clear guidelines to household names on how to behave themselves. But it found no evidence of a toxic culture on This Morning or daytime TV at the channel.

Phil, 61, and his young lover, a runner, refused to be quizzed.

One staffer spoke of their “sheer bewilderment” at the findings and said: “There is a chasm between this and reality. ITV will need more than policies and procedures to address its culture of silence.”

Another ITV employee said: “The findings were not surprising to say the least. That’s not to say we all agree with them. Rumours of the affair were swirling around the entire floor from 2019.

“Even talent — high-profile names — were aware of the gossip even if they had no proof, or didn’t ask the right questions to the right people.

“It seems utterly implausible only one person knew. It’s a predictably sanitised version of events.

“But lessons will have been learned and bosses are adamant that they are embroiled in no more scandal. Generally it is a happy ship here. Everyone just wants to move on now and start afresh.”

Schofield left This Morning in May after admitting to lying about his affair with the male runner, at least 30 years his junior.

The channel then asked barrister Jane Mulcahy KC to lead a review into its handling of the relationship.

According to the report Schofield declined to give evidence himself, citing the risk to his mental health.

The unnamed runner also did not co-operate, as he “wanted to move on with his life”.

The probe found that most senior management claimed to be unaware of the fling. However, one junior staffer DID know about it as early as 2021, but did not tell anybody for fear it might harm their prospects.

In a damning summary, Ms Mulcahy wrote: “That former junior employee did not report their knowledge at the time.

“Nor did others report suspicions from much earlier in 2017.

“This leads me to emphasise in my recommendations the importance of junior employees having the confidence to raise concerns to management in line with ITV’s Speaking Up policy.

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“I have no doubt that senior management are absolutely wedded to the importance of an open culture.

“But this culture is still not filtering down to junior employees, many of whom remain convinced that to speak out will have a detrimental impact on their careers.”

At the top of her recommendations, Ms Mulcahy wrote: “Managers should ensure all staff know there is a safe space to complain or raise concerns.

“No one should be worried that their job will be at risk because they have raised an issue.”

Her report also told ITV to “take the opportunity to set out clear guidelines for its talent to ensure good behaviours are observed even by those who are household names”.

In response to her comments, ITV chairman Andy Cosslett said: “For the period under review there was no finding of a ‘toxic culture’ and had there been one (she) would have said so.”

Meanwhile, a source close to Schofield said: “Phil is in an extremely dark place right now and needs all the support he can get.

“He is unbelievably bruised and broken from these past six months, and was in no state to be interrogated. That is the sole reason he did not contribute to the enquiry — there was no ulterior motive.”

A story appeared in The Sun in 2019 alleging a relationship between Schofield and runner but there was little action ITV felt they could take because both denied it.

Ms Mulcahy wrote: “ITV was unable to uncover the relevant ­evidence until PS (Schofield’s) admission in late May 2023.”

The barrister’s report also broached the subject of any suggestion that having the fling gained the runner (PX) special treatment from Schofield or ITV — particularly when he was given a promotion and moved on to another show.

Ms Mulcahy wrote: “It is clear that PS’s patronage assisted PX in the early days of his time at ITV but, beyond this, PX seems to have made his way on his own.

“I’m satisfied that PX’s promotion to another daytime programme had nothing to do with PS. Further, the only agreement between ITV and PX under which he was paid any settlement sum was a standard agreement ending the employment relationship dated July 31 2021.

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“After the story broke in 2019, ITV tried to do everything it could to help PX and provided significant additional support to him, even in May 2023 despite his employment having ended.”

Schofield’s affair also caused a rift with his co-host Holly Willoughby. She left the show in October — soon after a man was charged over an alleged kidnap plot.

 ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall said of the review: “The recommendations show that there is a need for ITV to do much more to encourage people to speak out, and to support junior staff.

“It is not enough to have policies and procedures in place: staff, especially junior ones, need to know it’s safe to use them.”