Phillip Schofield: What next for Holly Willoughby, ITV and This Morning?

Holly Willoughby is set to return to This Morning on Monday 5 June, two weeks after Schofield's exit

Pressure on ITV is increasing after several stars raised questions about what it knew of Phillip Schofield's relationship with a younger male colleague.

The former This Morning host left the show last week following reports of a rift with co-star Holly Willoughby.

Willoughby was reportedly upset that Schofield had not told her his brother Timothy was facing charges of sexually abusing a boy, something he was ultimately convicted of earlier this year.

Days after Schofield exited This Morning he confirmed he had an affair with a young male colleague while still married to his wife, and apologised for lying about it to those around him.

The 61-year-old's relationship has dominated headlines in recent days, but it has also prompted criticism about the working environment on the show.

Dr Ranj Singh, This Morning's former resident doctor, tweeted on Sunday: "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. The culture at This Morning had become toxic, no longer aligned with ITV's values."

In response, an ITV spokesman said: "We are sorry to read Dr Ranj's post. At ITV we are fully committed to providing every opportunity for anyone who works with us to raise any concern or comments they may have.

"Following a complaint made by Dr Ranj, we appointed an external and independent advisor to carry out a review. This external review found no evidence of bullying or discrimination."

This isn't the first time a light-hearted daytime show has been accused of a difficult culture behind the scenes - it was one of the factors which led to the end of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in the US.

But how did it come to this? A story which started life two weeks ago following an apparent feud between Schofield and his co-star Holly Willoughby has turned into a crisis for ITV.

The man who would become Schofield's lover was a teenager when they first met, although the relationship did not start until he was over 18 and working alongside the presenter on This Morning.

The pair met when the boy attended a talk Schofield gave at a school - and his connection to the star would ultimately lead to him being hired by ITV three years later.

Some might say it is unfair that someone could land a job in the media industry because they happened to come into contact with a successful figure.

The truth is that kind of thing happens frequently in the entertainment world. But this case may prompt questions about whether more safeguards should be put in place for young employees.

Speaking to the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, former culture secretary Nadine Dorries said: "How did that young boy get a job at ITV - what were the processes that were involved and what were the safeguarding processes that were in place for someone who was so young?"

Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries questioned whether safeguarding processes were put in place by ITV

Rumours continued to swirl about the nature of the pair's relationship for several years. Schofield came out as gay live on air in February 2020. By then, the man had moved programmes and was working on another ITV show.

ITV say the affair was "categorically denied" by both parties during a 2020 investigation, and no evidence beyond "hearsay and rumour" was found.

A major TV network cannot fire someone based on rumour and suspicion alone, especially a high-profile presenter whose sudden and unexplained departure would invite a media circus to their doorstep.

Nonetheless, Dan Wootton and Eamonn Holmes were among the former ITV stars who maintained that network's bosses had questions to answer about what they knew and when.

Wootton claims he was one of the ITV employees who had urged bosses to investigate rumours of a relationship in 2019.

At the time, he also worked for the Sun and was keen to write something about what was happening, but he said he was only able to write "a pale imitation of the real story" due to legal constraints.

Former This Morning star Dr Ranj claimed the wider culture on the programme was "toxic"

Following Schofield's high-profile exit, many are questioning whether or not Willoughby can remain on the programme, assuming she wants to. She is a hugely popular presenter who will not be short of offers from other broadcasters.

Willoughby reportedly has no plans to leave but the drama surrounding Schofield and This Morning is such that it is hard to imagine how she'll be able to present the programme as normal when she returns on 5 June.

She has already distanced herself from her former co-star and friend, commenting it was "very hurtful" to find Schofield had lied about the relationship.

In the long-term, it's perfectly possible she could be able to build a relationship with a new co-presenter such as Alison Hammond. But Willoughby was so heavily associated with Schofield on This Morning it could be tricky for her to escape from under his cloud.

Alison Hammond (pictured with Schofield in July 2022) is the favourite to replace him on This Morning

Others are asking whether Schofield's career can survive away from ITV. Comebacks are common in the media industry and it's worth reiterating that he hasn't done anything illegal.

While it's unlikely he will ever reclaim his throne as the king of daytime, there are plenty of other radio stations and TV networks who might give him a lower-profile show after he's had a period of laying low.

As for the programme itself, there is a good chance it will survive. A huge number of staff work on This Morning beyond the presenters, including production staff, camera operators and regular guests.

Cancelling the show would leave a huge gap in ITV's daytime schedule and viewers could easily drift off to other channels and never come back if the show went off air, even temporarily. ITV will want to avoid this at all costs.

ITV said in a statement: "This Morning is not under review and there's no plans for the show to be axed."

Willoughby has no plans to leave This Morning following Schofield's exit, according to reports

A rebrand of the show, which retains a lot of the staff and essence of This Morning but with a different title and colour scheme, might be a credible option if it is felt the show cannot continue.

When GMTV finished in 2010, its troubled replacement Daybreak struggled for four years before being replaced by the far more successful Good Morning Britain.

For now, photos of Schofield have reportedly been removed from the This Morning set, and advertisers will be watching closely to see how the show weathers the storm.

Three years after chef John Torode's tea towel caught fire live on air while he attempted the perfect breakfast muffin recipe, ITV is being forced to put out a few fires of its own.