This Morning stars have addressed claims that there is a "toxic" atmosphere behind the scenes on the ITV show.
Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary directly broached the subject at the top of Monday's show as regular contributor Giles Brandeth blasted the ongoing rumours on the back of the drama which is surrounding Phillip Schofield's exit on Friday after more than 20 years on camera.
Dermot said: "We know we have been in the news at the moment. But just from both of us, and the whole team here, the crew, the guys downstairs, we love making this show for all of you."
Alison added: "We really do and that's exactly what we're gonna do - we're continuing to do that."
On Friday, Phillip announced he was stepping away from ITV as a whole as he admitted he'd had an affair with a young male colleague who worked on the show. This morning, just minutes before the ITV daytime programme launched Monday's episode, Phillip released a statement via Instagram where he slammed a "handful of people" who he claims have a "grudge" against him as he blasted the "toxic" claims.
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 and hardworking people."
His angry words came after several former regulars, including Dr Ranj spoke out about the "toxic" environment behind the scenes.
Ranj had previously worked on This Morning alongside Phillip and his co-star Holly Willoughby, joining in 2016 before leaving the show after putting in a formal complaint about a bully on the set.
As we reported at the weekend, Ranj said on Twitter: "Lots of journalists have been contacting me this weekend enquiring about this, so I think it’s only right that I clarify things. There is so much more I could say, but I hope my concerns will finally be taken seriously, and something good comes from all this," he said.
"I've thought long and hard about posting this. If I'm honest, I wish I didn't have to. But I've got to clarify some things that have been reported about me, and in the light of recent events, I finally feel like I might be believed."
He added: "I was on the show for ten 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 Phillip, but I do know the issues with This Morning go far beyond him.
"It takes more than one person to create a culture. So I did what I thought was right and, as ITV confirmed last night, I raised my concerns about Martin Frizell's behaviour (and the environment at This Morning) with Emma Gormley - especially given that my job is to look after people's wellbeing, and I had been heavily involved in diversity, anti-bullying, and mental health projects across the channel. But then I found myself being used less and less. I even took my concerns directly to the top of ITV. The culture at This Morning had become toxic, no longer aligned with ITV values, and I felt like because I whistle-blew I was managed out."
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