Morninggate - Daily Mail: This Morning editor suggests ex-stars taking revenge over Schofield

Story from Daily Mail:

This Morning editor Martin Frizell today sensationally suggested ex-stars of the show are 'settling scores' amid accusations of a 'toxic' work environment.

He made the remark as the Chair of the Culture Committee accused ITV of 'lurching from one disaster to another in the wake of Phillip Schofield's departure.

Mr Frizell - who is married to TV presenter Fiona Phillips - said to 'read between the lines,' adding 'I think there are some scores being settled' when asked if there was a toxic culture at the show.

Speaking on Saturday morning, Mr Frizell denied he was 'concerned' about an external review which is to be carried out into ITV after MPs and leading industry figures raised concerns around safeguarding.

He added: 'All I want to say is I working with a fantastic team of mainly women, many mums, a lot of them concerned for their jobs although we've told them they don't need to be.'

It comes after Schofield spoke out for the first time in an interview with the BBC yesterday, in which he appeared to accept that his television career was over.

Mr Frizell told Sky News on Saturday he is 'looking forward' to speaking to the lawyer appointed to chair the review.

He initially declined to answer questions about the review: 'There's lots of questions to answer but there's a KC appointed for an external review and anything we may say now could be prejudicial, so I'd rather not.

'There will be lots of time once it's all over to go through who did what, when, why, but I'd rather not just now thanks.'

But he added he is not concerned about the review: 'No, we're looking forward to speaking to the KC, she's very learned. She'll get to the bottom of the questions to be answered, I'm sure she will find those answers.

'This is the 23rd day now of being on the front page and it's tiring. They worked all through covid brilliantly, they worked all through this putting a programme out [...] and I just think they need a bit of respite now.'

When asked whether there was a toxic culture at This Morning, Mr Frizell said: 'I think you've got to read between the lines. There are some scores being settled.'

Former This Morning presenters and stars have been outspoken critics of the show in recent weeks, with Eamonn Holmes claiming Schofield 'created an atmosphere' on the programme 'where people hated him', labelling him a 'chief narcissist' whom others wanted to avoid.

And on Monday, Holmes alleged that there was a 'total cover-up' on This Morning over Schofield's affair.

He alleged that 'those in authority' had to have known what was going on.

'It's a total cover-up,' he said. 'Those in authority had to know what was going on and they thought they would dodge a bullet with this.

'Which they do, and they do constantly, because with Schofield talking about those who speak out against him, namely me, Amanda Holden and you (Dan Wootton), you'll be included in the toxicity that goes on. Dr Ranj, of course, as well.

'And you simply sit there and think 'No mate, you've had it all your way for too long'.'

There have also been allegations of a 'toxic' working environment, with former resident doctor Dr Ranj Singh saying he raised concerns about 'bullying and discrimination' two years ago when he worked there and afterwards felt like he was 'managed out' for whistleblowing.

In a lengthy Instagram post, he said: 'I've thought long and hard about posting this. If I'm honest, I really wish I didn't have to. But I've got to clarify some things that have ben reported about me, and in light of recent events, I finally feel like I might be believed...

'To the journalists who have offered me money this weekend to share my experience of working at This Morning, thank you but it would go against my principles to "sell my story" - especially about something like this.

'However, given that ITV have commented on my departure, I feel it's only fair for me to do so too to avoid any further conjecture.

'I was on the show for 10 years and I genuinely loved and valued working there. However over time I grew increasingly worried about how things were behind-the-scenes and how people, including myself, were being treated.

'I didn't know the truth about what was going on with Philip [sic], but I do know the issues with TM go far beyond him. It takes more than one person to create a culture.'

Meanwhile, it was revealed this week that Holly Willoughby will be grilled by a top barrister over the scandal - and the show's past and present presenting teams may also be quizzed about what they knew about Schofield's affair, which he revealed last Friday.

Alison Hammond, Dermot O'Leary, Eamonn Holmes, Ruth Langsford and Dr Ranj Singh may all be asked to give statements to employment lawyer Jane Mulcahy KC.

It comes as the Chair of Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee said ITV appears to be 'lurching from one tragic disaster to another'.

Speaking to GB News, Dame Caroline Dinenage - who is set to grill ITV's chief executive over Phillip Schofield's departure from This Morning next week - said the broadcaster 'does not have a very good track record' with duty of care towards staff and complaint handling.

She said: 'ITV is a public service broadcaster, our committee and the public at large feel that it's really important that they have a duty of care towards their staff, that this is a matter regarding issues of safeguarding, complaint handling and that is of high importance.

'The public must have confidence in broadcasters to make sure that they are robustly safeguarding the interests of their staff.

In a climbdown after a crisis staff meeting, ITV said this week it was bringing in a barrister to 'carry out an external review to establish the facts'.

The future of This Morning, which was jointly hosted by Schofield and Willoughby until he had to resign over an affair, is now uncertain as experts predicted that heads will roll.

ITV bosses, including Dame Carolyn McCall, have been under pressure to admit what they knew and when about the veteran presenter's fling with a much younger colleague.