A review into how ITV handled Phillip Schofield’s behaviour has reportedly been delayed until later this year, despite it originally being expected to be published this month.
The This Morning star, 61, stepped down from his role before resigning from all ITV presenting duties after admitting to having an ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a younger male former colleague.
The incident led to further allegations of there being a ‘toxic’ culture at This Morning, with TV medic Dr Ranj Singh and Eamonn Holmes among those speaking out against the show.
Metro reported how an external review was launched to establish how ITV handled the allegations against Phillip.
It said a letter from ITV Chief Dame Carolyn McCall sent to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, DCMS Committee Chair Dame Caroline Dinenage, and Ofcom Chief Executive Dame Melanie Dawes stated that ITV was taking the matter ‘extremely seriously.’
The letter stated that: “Rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate in late 2019/early 2020."
This then reportedly led to ITV launching an investigation, however, 'both parties repeatedly denied the rumours, as did Phillip’s then agency YMU.’
Now, Broadcast has reported that "the external review into ITV’s handling of its initial investigation into Phillip Schofield’s conduct has been delayed until later this year."
Dame Carolyn reportedly claimed that while ITV was making ‘significant progress’ with the investigation and had conducted ‘multiple witness interviews,’ the report that was ‘anticipated by the end of September’ is now expected to be ‘completed later this year.’
Last month, ITV’s Managing Director Kevin Lygo said that the report by Jane Mulcahy KC, who is leading the review of Schofield’s departure, would be completed in September.
Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, he said: "She [Mulcahy] has been talking to everybody involved, they take your phone and look at every single text you’ve ever sent, email, WhatsApp. So, everything is available, lots of interviews, talking to everybody, and I hope as soon as possible, but probably in September, she will make that public."
In June, the broadcaster’s Chief Executive Dame Carolyn told MPs during a government committee how both Phillip and his younger colleague had denied the affair ‘both formally and informally.’
After stepping down from his role in May, the presenter then admitted to lying about the relationship. In a statement, he apologised to ITV, saying: “I am deeply sorry for having lied to them and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on This Morning.
"I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.’"
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