Image source, PA Media

Days after Schofield quit This Morning, a former colleague spoke out against the "toxic" culture at the programme.

Dr Ranj Singh, who worked on the show for a decade, said the issues" go far beyond" Schofield and that he had taken his concerns "directly to the top of ITV", but found the subsequent process "pretty heart-breaking".

ITV has said that after Dr Ranj's complaint, an external review had "found no evidence of bullying or discrimination".

Former This Morning co-host Eamonn Holmes has also accused Schofield of "toxicity".

In a BBC interview earlier this month, Schofield denied there was a toxic environment on the show, as well as claims that he had become too powerful or was unpleasant to work with.

"I'm not rude on the studio floor, I don't bully people," he said.

ITV bosses will be under the spotlight today when they face questions from MPs in a DCMS committee session.

Here are some of the people we’re expecting to hear from:

Dame Carolyn McCall - ITV chief executive

Kevin Lygo - ITV managing director, media and entertainment

Kyla Mullins - ITV general counsel and company secretary

Image source, PA Media

Dame Carolyn McCall is the chief executive of ITV and joined the broadcaster in January 2018.

She is the first female ITV chief executive and was previously EasyJet’s chief executive.

McCall was previously awarded a Damehood in the New Year Honours List for services to the aviation industry.

She is set to face MPs today and give evidence to a DCMS committee about ITV’s approach to safeguarding and complaint handling.

ITV has asked a barrister to lead a review into its handling of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and his colleague.

The review was confirmed by chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall in a letter.

The broadcaster previously said it had investigated in 2020, but that both parties repeatedly denied the relationship.

The network has now instructed a barrister to carry out an external review to "establish the facts".

Jane Mulcahy KC "will review our records and talk to people involved", Dame Carolyn said in the letter.

Image source, Get

Steven McIntosh
Entertainment reporter

ITV's chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall, and its managing director of media and entertainment Kevin Lygo, will have to answer detailed questions about Phillip Schofield's affair. What did ITV know, and when? What action did it take?

The broadcast network has previously said it investigated rumours of the affair between Schofield and the young male runner he had an affair with in 2020, but that both parties had repeatedly denied it.

However, since then, the Daily Mail has claimed, external the broadcaster reached a financial settlement with the young man after the affair came to an end. ITV did not comment on the allegation to the newspaper at the time.

The network's bosses will this morning be scrutinised about ITV's handling of the affair, along with wider questions about workplace practices and what it has done to address claims from former stars such as Dr Ranj Singh that This Morning had a toxic work environment.

But we may not get all the answers today. ITV recently instructed Jane Mulcahy KC to carry out a review of the Schofield affair, which means Dame Carolyn might say she does not want to comment on certain matters until that investigation has concluded.

Last week an ITV executive defended the network’s duty of care to staff. Magnus Brooke, ITV's director of strategy, policy and regulation, told MPs bullying was "unacceptable" and would be "dealt with appropriately".

"There's a very sophisticated and a significant system of safeguarding and duty of care at ITV with a very significant set of policies," Brooke told a House of Commons committee last Tuesday.

However, SNP MP John Nicolson told Brooke he had spoken to whistleblowers at ITV, and that it "seems like a very unhappy place".

Also last week, when Sky News asked This Morning editor Martin Frizell whether there was a "toxic" environment on the show, he made a remark about aubergines.

"I'll tell you what's toxic and I've always found it toxic. Aubergine. Do you like aubergine?” Frizell told the reporter, external.

Nicolson described those comments as "surreal and bizarre".

Image source, House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA

Image source, PA Media

It’s been a tumultuous few weeks for ITV and its flagship daytime show, This Morning, since Schofield admitted an affair with a younger colleague.

It all began in early May with tabloid speculation about a feud between him and his co-host, Holly Willoughby. Then on 20 May, Schofield stepped down from presenting duties and six days later admitted he had lied about the affair to his employer, broadcaster ITV, and his wife, agent and lawyer.

He confirmed that he first met the man when he was aged 15 – but told the BBC that the man was 20 years old when he first had any sexual contact with him.

ITV said It was "disappointed by the admissions of deceit" made by Schofield and confirmed it had cut all ties with the host.

Now the broadcaster is facing questions over whether a 2020 investigation into the affair went far enough and is undergoing an external review into how it handled the case.

ITV boss Dame Carolyn McCall is also likely to be asked about allegations of a "toxic" environment on This Morning from a number of former presenters.

Nathan Williams
Live reporter

Thank you for joining us. ITV is in the spotlight once again over its handling of former presenter Phillip Schofield’s affair with a much younger male colleague.

Today the TV network's boss, Dame Carolyn McCall, will face questions from MPs in a session of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

Schofield stepped down from hosting ITV's This Morning last month after admitting lying to bosses and workmates about the affair.

Dame McCall will be asked about the broadcasters approach to safeguarding and complaint handling amid allegations of a wider "toxic" culture at the programme.

I'm here with my colleagues Mattea Bubalo and Jack Burgess, and our entertainment reporter Steven McIntosh. Stick with us as we bring you the top lines and analysis from today's session – and you’ll also be able to watch live from 1000 BST by pressing play above.