Phillip Schofield: what ITV boss Dame Carolyn McCall said about This Morning affair and toxic culture scandal

Dame Carolyn McCall, the head of ITV, has appeared before a parliamentary committee to address concerns regarding the broadcaster's handling of safeguarding and complaints following the departure of Phillip Schofield as host of This Morning.

During the session held by the Culture, Media, and Sport Committee on Wednesday morning (14 June), McCall, along with ITV's Managing Director Kevin Lygo and General Counsel and Company Secretary Kyla Mullins, faced questions from Members of Parliament.

The focus was primarily on the recent controversy surrounding This Morning, following Schofield's resignation from ITV and subsequent termination by his talent agency YMU, after he openly admitted to an affair with a younger male colleague on the show, describing it as "unwise but not illegal." This has led to ongoing allegations of a "toxic" environment on This Morning.

The committee session encompassed various topics, including ITV's initial investigation into the rumours surrounding Schofield, the independent review commissioned by ITV and conducted by barrister Jane Mulcahy KC, the overall working culture on This Morning and other productions, the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by ITV, and the company's whistleblowing policy.

Additionally, the committee sought to address ITV's approach to fulfilling its duty of care, particularly in terms of providing support for individuals who have left the organisation. These matters were thoroughly discussed during the session with the panel on Wednesday.

What did McCall say?

During the hearing, McCall emphasised that the concerns raised are of utmost importance to ITV executives, saying she has a history of valuing and respecting individuals, and aims to foster an environment where authenticity thrives. She assured the committee that ITV leadership will take lessons from the inquiry, actively learning and growing as a result.

She also acknowledged the prevalence of misinformation surrounding the story, and expressed an eagerness to uncover the truth.

When questioned on her awareness of the rumours surrounding Schofield's affair, McCall revealed that she began investigating the matter in December 2019. However, she notes that it was when Schofield publicly came out as gay in February 2020 that the rumours escalated significantly. According to her, that was the turning point when the situation became "really febrile."

McCall said that the "imbalance of power" in the context of Schofield's relationship was "deeply inappropriate" and that ITV has "policies that say that very clearly." But she explained that despite their awareness of the potential issue, they had no concrete evidence of the relationship between the individuals involved.

Both parties repeatedly denied any involvement when questioned, and no team members came forward with any knowledge or information regarding the matter.

McCall said she held a deep concern for the emotional well-being of both Schofield and person X during that time, and that Schofield was experiencing a difficult state of mind and was apprehensive about facing a potential social media backlash. On the other hand, person X struggled to comprehend and cope with the intense media intrusion.

She claimed that ITV's leadership made sincere efforts to find ways to assist person X in navigating the challenging circumstances they were facing, and that ITV consistently and persistently asked questions regarding the situation but received repeated assurances that nothing was amiss.

"Our understanding and our information so far is that we could not have done this differently," she says "Nobody here or on the management board would ever turn a blind eye to something as serious as this."

What did she say about Schofield's mental wellbeing?

McCall revealed that following his resignation, ITV has maintained communication with Schofield, and he is currently receiving counselling. She said that Schofield himself requested the counselling, and that ITV is funding it to ensure the presenter receives the support he needs.

Regarding person X, McCall said there is a comprehensive duty of care approach in place, even though they departed the company in 2021. She explains that ITV has continued to provide aspects of duty of care support to person X, and said assistance was offered as recently as last week.

McCall clarified that she has not personally spoken to person X, but she has had conversations with Schofield since his resignation. She shared with the committee that she has "just" received a text message from Schofield expressing his apologies for lying to ITV.

What did she say about the working culture at This Morning?

When asked about the allegations of a toxic culture at This Morning, McCall said that ITV does not recognise such claims within the program, adding that the "vast majority" of individuals working on This Morning are "extremely engaged and very motivated".