This Morning ‘could face the AXE if it emerges show bosses ‘covered up’ Phillip Schofield’s affair

By Liam On May 27, 2023

This Morning could reportedly get the ax if show bosses are revealed to have ‘covered up’ Phillip Schofield’s affair with a younger, male ITV colleague.

On Friday, the presenter, 61, quit ITV with immediate effect after admitting to cheating on wife Stephanie with the man, while admitting to cheating on his ITV staff and colleagues about his affair.

Phillip has now resigned from ITV and will not be presenting his last remaining TV appointment, the British Soap Awards, and has been dropped at YMU by his agents.

And while Phillip’s 40-year career is in tatters, This Morning is now said to be on the bandwagon too, as senior bosses of the program come under pressure to reveal what they knew about Phil’s affair with the young runner.

The sun reports that the jobs of top bosses at the ITV show could be in jeopardy and that ‘high-ranking heads could roll’ if they were found to be keeping the presenter’s secret open.

Tough times: This Morning could reportedly face the ax if show bosses are revealed to have ‘hid’ Phillip Schofield’s affair with a younger, male ITV colleague

Uh oh: While Phillip’s career is in tatters, This Morning is now said to be on the bandwagon too, as senior bosses of the program come under pressure to reveal what they knew about Phil’s affair with the young runner (the cast of This Morning in 2022)

A source told the publication, “This is going straight to the top. Very high heads can roll. If there are suggestions for a cover-up, they may be guilty.

“It’s also possible that This Morning will eventually get the axe.”

MailOnline has contacted representatives from ITV and This Morning for comment.

Phillip stepped down last weekend after more than 20 years on the air, confirming the affair in a statement to the Mail on Friday.

He has resigned from ITV and will not present the British Soap Awards and has been dropped ‘with immediate effect’ by his agents at YMU.

In a fawning statement, the former ITV presenter said: “I am making this statement through the Daily Mail, to whom I have already personally apologized for being misled, through my lawyer who I have also misled, about a story [sic] that they wanted to write about me a few days ago.

“The first thing I want to say is, I am deeply sorry that I lied to them and to many others about a relationship I had with someone who worked on This Morning.

“I did have a consensual on and off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.

Statement: TV presenter Phillip quit the ITV program last Saturday before sensationally confessing to the Mail on Friday that he had had an affair with a young male colleague

More problems? “This is going all the way up. Very high heads can roll. If there are suggestions for a cover-up, they may be guilty” (Phillip pictured with This Morning editor Martin Frizell)

Contrary to speculation, while I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him get on television, it wasn’t until after he started working on the show that it became more than just a friendship.

That relationship was ill-advised, but not illegal. It’s over now…

“I am painfully aware that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore to the public and especially my family. I am very sorry, just like that I have been unfaithful to my wife…

“I resign from ITV with immediate effect and express my immense gratitude to them for all the wonderful opportunities they have given me.

“I will reflect on my very poor judgment in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it.”

An ITV spokesperson said on Friday night: ‘We are deeply disappointed by Phillip Schofield’s admissions of cheating tonight.

“The relationships we have with those we work with are based on trust. Philip gave us assurances which he now admits were untrue and we feel very let down.

Statement: TV presenter Phillip quit the ITV program last Saturday before sensationally confessing to the Mail on Friday that he had had an affair with a young male colleague

On hiatus: Holly is currently taking two weeks off from This Morning before returning with other members of the ITV family on 5th June (Phillip and Holly seen together on his final episode of This Morning on Thursday 18th May 2023)

“We accept his resignation from ITV and can therefore confirm that he will not appear on ITV as previously stated.”

Following his statement, Phillip also parted ways with his YMU management team after 35 years.

Mary Bekhait, the Group CEO of YMU Group, said, “Honesty and integrity are core values for the entire business of YMU, guiding everything we do. Talent management is a relationship based entirely on trust.

“This week we learned important new information about our client Phillip Schofield. These facts contradicted what Phillip had previously told YMU, as well as the outside consultants we engaged to support him.

Full statement from Phillip Schofield to The Daily Mail

“I am making this statement through the Daily Mail to whom I have already personally apologized for misleading, through my lawyer whom I also misled, about a story they were about to write about me a few days ago.

“The first thing I want to say is, I am deeply sorry that I lied to them and to many others about a relationship I had with someone who worked on This Morning.

“I did have a consensual on and off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.

Contrary to speculation, while I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him in television, it wasn’t until after he started working on the show that it became more than just a friendship. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It’s over now.

“When I chose to come out, I did it entirely for my own good. No one ‘forced’ me out.

“Neither I nor anyone else, to my knowledge, has ever issued a warrant, super or otherwise, about my relationship with this colleague, he has never moved or been fired by or because of me.

“In an effort to protect my ex-colleague, I have not been honest about the relationship.

But my recent unrelated departure from This Morning fueled speculation and raised questions that have affected him, so for him it’s important for me to be honest now.

“I have therefore decided to step down from the British Soap Awards, my last public commitment, and resign from ITV with immediate effect, expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the wonderful opportunities they have given me. I will reflect on my very poor judgment in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it.

“To protect his privacy, I am not naming this individual and my deepest wish is that both he and his family can now move on with their lives without further interference, and that this statement will enable them to do so.

“I now ask the media to respect their privacy. They have done nothing wrong and I ask that their privacy be respected.”

“That’s why we agreed on Thursday to say goodbye to Phillip with immediate effect.”

Phillip’s extraordinary statement marks the end of weeks of increasingly fevered speculation in both the TV industry and the wider country about the future of his career following his sudden departure from This Morning bank earlier this month.

His departure from ITV apparently sets plans for the ‘prime time’ show which was reportedly offered to him by the network as consolation for leaving This Morning after more than 20 years on the show.

Next week he was due to present the prestigious British Soap Awards – a role he has held since 2006. His statement confirms that he will no longer do so.