ITV boss Dame Carolyn McCall appeared before a parliamentary committee today (Wednesday 14 June) to answer questions about the broadcaster’s approach to safeguarding and complaint handling after former employee Phillip Schofield’s exit from This Morning.
The chief executive faced questions from MPs on the This Morning row at a session of the Culture, Media, and Sport Committee. This comes after former presenter Schofield, 61, resigned from ITV and was dropped by his talent agency YMU after admitting to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague.
Since Schofield’s resignation, This Morning has been plagued with allegations of “toxicity”. McCall vehemently denied this during the committee hearing and detailed how ITV bosses had repeatedly questioned Schofield and his lover about rumours of their affair.
The show’s former resident doctor Ranj Singh hit out at a “toxic” culture last month, 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.