This Morning editor Martin Frizell has become the most recent person to join the conversation surrounding what he describes as the 'tiring' Phillip Schofield fallout.
61-year-old Schofield made the decision to step down from the ITV show last month after an alleged fallout with his former pal Holly Willoughby.
He later issued a statement admitting to having an affair with a younger male colleague and lying about it while still married to his wife, and left ITV altogether.
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Frizell, who is editor of the daytime show, was questioned by Sky News on the scandal and mentioned that people working behind the scenes are being affected.
"This is the 23rd day now of being on the front page and it’s tiring, they [the team] 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," he said.
He praised his fantastic teams of 'mainly women' and 'many mums' and said that 'a lot of them are concerned for their jobs' despite being reassured by management that they're safe.
He was also asked about the alleged 'toxic' culture' at the show for staff as former employees have spoken out.
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"I think you need to read between the lines," he said, before adding: “I think there’s some scores being settled.”
Dr Ranj Singh - who was a regular expert appearing on the hit morning show - spoke out on Twitter, claiming there was a 'toxic culture' on the show that he once 'genuinely loved and valued'.
He claims that, after speaking out, he was 'managed out' of the show.
ITV chief executive, Dame Carolyn McCall, wrote a letter to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, DCMS Committee chair Dame Caroline Dinenage and Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes about instructing a barrister to carry out a 'review of the facts' surrounding Schofield's departure from the show.
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Schofield has since spoken out in a BBC interview in the wake of the scandal, saying he's 'lost everything' since admitting to the affair, and that it's had a 'catastrophic effect' on his mental health.
"My girls saved my life. They said, last week, they haven’t left me for a moment. They’ve been by my side every moment because they’re scared to let me out of their sight," he said.
"If my girls hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be here. Because I don’t see a future.
"How much do you want a man to take? Are you truly only happy when he’s dead? This is how Caroline Flack felt. And it didn’t stop."
Topics: News, TV and Film, This Morning, UK News, ITV
Amelia Jones