ITV thought to be holding "crisis" talks after GMB presenter Ed Balls gets caught up in Taylorgate scandal

Taylorgate is the most recent scandal to emerge from the murky waters of Downing Street, in which Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer granted pop-star Taylor Swift a police escort to her London concert. At the same time, the PM and his family not only attended the event, but were given a private audience too.

Now Balls, 57, has been absent from the popular morning program, and sources suggest that ITV staff are scrambling behind the scenes, holding secretive meetings to address the situation. It comes after his wife, home secretary Yvette Cooper, became involved in the Taylorgate scandal, which reportedly spiked tensions within ITV’s London studios.

Despite this, a spokesperson for Ed's team dismissed any rumors of turmoil.

They told The Sun: “A source close to the show said 'There is no crisis. GMB is in great shape—performing strongly and all is well. Ed was just on his usual two weeks off—he does a roster of two weeks on and two weeks off—due back at the end of the month.'”

Meanwhile, a separate Good Morning Britain insider said: “There are serious disagreements now over what to do for the best. The whole thing is a headache. He is highly regarded as a broadcaster, but it is causing real problems now.

“ITV are desperately trying to find a solution. Ed is really well liked by the team, but he has become a growing headache with accusations of bias affecting the show.”