British Soap Awards: who is replacing Phillip Schofield after he quit ITV?

Jane McDonald will replace Phillip Schofield as the host of the British Soap Awards tonight.

The former This Morning presenter stepped down from hosting the ceremony when he quit ITV amid a furore over his extramarital affair with a younger male colleague. Singer and travel presenter McDonald will take his place on stage at The Lowry in Salford Quays on Saturday (3 June) to honour the best in soap.

Schofield had previously confirmed he would host the awards when he explosively left This Morning on 20 May. However, he stepped down from the ceremony, his last public commitment, when he quit ITV.

McDonald, 60, is best known for her TV series Cruising With Jane McDonald, as well as her long stint on Loose Women. The furore over Schofield had threatened to overshadow the soap awards as the scandal has dominated the headlines.

On Wednesday (31 May), ITV instructed a barrister to carry out an external review of the facts following his departure from This Morning and subsequent press statements, according to a letter from chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall.

The letter was sent to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, DCMS Committee chairwoman Dame Caroline Dinenage and Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes, in the wake of Schofield’s departure from ITV last week. Schofield, 61, was dropped by his talent agency YMU after admitting to the “unwise but not illegal” affair.