Dr Ranj Singh admits he’s had a ‘tough week’ after slamming This Morning
Dr. Ranj Singh admitted he’s had a ‘tough’ week after accusing This Morning of having a ‘toxic culture’.
The TV doctor, who left the show last year, claimed he was ‘taken out’ after taking his concerns to ‘the top’ of ITV.
Dr. Ranj, 43, spoke out in the wake of the ongoing scandal surrounding Phillip Schofield’s ‘ill-advised’ affair with a younger male colleague.
The Doctor made his first TV appearance on BBC’s Morning Live on Wednesday. The show was dedicated to mental health for Mental Health Awareness month.
Host Gethin Jones expressed concern to Dr Ranj as he acknowledged that the past week must have been difficult amid the This Morning media frenzy.
Emotional: Dr. Ranj Singh admitted he’s had a ‘tough’ week after accusing This Morning of having a ‘toxic culture’
Scandal: Dr. Ranj, 43, spoke out in the wake of the ongoing scandal over Phillip Schofield’s ‘ill-advised’ affair with a younger male colleague (Phillip pictured in February)
Gethin, 45, said: ‘Ranj as your friends and colleagues we know you have a particularly tough week this week.’
Dr. Ranj replied, ‘Yes’.
“We won’t go into the details, but it definitely impacted your mental health, that’s absolutely fair to say,” Gethin added.
Dr. Ranj, who spoke openly about how he struggled with suicidal thoughts as a teenager, went on to explain his coping mechanisms.
He said he was aware of his feelings and used time for self-care and made sure to pace himself.
The TV Doctor took to Twitter ahead of the show. He said, “It’s a mental health special on @BBCMorningLive today!
“The whole show is dedicated to exploring it and helping as many people as possible.
“I’ll be there with @DrPunamKrishan to talk about our own experiences and give us advice on how we can ALL take care of ourselves.”
Dr. Ranj spent six years on This Morning as a resident medical expert alongside Schofield and his co-host Holly Willoughby before stepping down in 2022.
Tough week: Host Gethin Jones expressed concern to Dr. Ranj on how he felt in the midst of the This Morning media frenzy
Consolation: Gethin, 45, said, “Ranj as your friends and colleagues, we know you’re having a particularly tough week this week.” Dr Ranj replied: ‘Yes’ (photo Dr Punam Krishan)
Selfie: The TV Doctor took to Twitter ahead of the show. He said, “It’s a mental health special on @BBCMorningLive today! ‘I join @DrPunamKrishan’
Speaking out: The television doctor previously confirmed he had taken his concerns about the behavior of editors and senior producers to ITV and subsequently seen his screen time drop
Familiar face: Singh spent six years on the show as a resident medical expert alongside Schofield and his co-host Holly Willoughby before stepping down in 2022
Old Times: Phillip and Holly Willoughby with Dr. Ranj on This Morning in 2019. The TV doctor said he felt he should say something
Explanation: dr. Ranj was then forced to defend himself after a six-year-old selfie was taken on social media by Singh with the young runner at the center of Schofield’s departure
Veteran TV presenter Schofield, 61, resigned from ITV on Friday and was subsequently dropped by his talent agency YMU after admitting to having an ‘ill-advised, but not illegal’ affair with a young male colleague on This Morning.
Dr. Speaking about his own departure from the show over the weekend, Ranj said that two years ago when he worked there he had raised concerns about ‘bullying and discrimination’ and afterwards felt he had been ‘outed’ for whistle blowing.
In a lengthy social media post, Dr Ranj wrote, “I was on the show for 10 years and I really loved and appreciated working there. However, over time I started to worry more and more about how things were behind the scenes and how people, including myself, were treated.
“I didn’t know the truth about what was going on with Phillip, but I do know that the problems with TM (This Morning) go way beyond him.
“It takes more than one person to create a culture.”
The doctor said he had raised concerns with senior ITV executives as he had been heavily involved in “diversity, anti-bullying and mental health projects” across the channel.
“Then I noticed I was being used less and less,” he continued. “I even took my concerns straight to the top of ITV: the culture at This Morning had become toxic, no longer in line with ITV values, and I felt that for whistling I was being kicked out.
“But as history and experience have taught us, things like bullying and discrimination are very hard to prove, especially in hindsight and when the “those in power” dictate the narrative.
“As we’ve seen, no assessment or research is foolproof.”
The doctor said he was assured things would be addressed and changes would be made, but that he hasn’t worked on the show since – adding that it “still hurts” two years after complaints were filed .
An ITV spokesperson said: ‘We are sorry to hear from Dr. Ranj to read today. At ITV, we are fully committed to providing everyone who works with us with every opportunity to express any concerns or comments.
“Following a complaint from Dr Ranj, we have appointed an outside and independent consultant to conduct an investigation. This external review found no evidence of bullying or discrimination.”
Dr. Ranj was then forced to defend himself after a six-year-old selfie was taken on social media by Singh with the young runner at the center of Schofield’s departure.
He wrote on Twitter: “It is sad that there are people who try to do damage and insinuate things from an innocent image.
So here are some facts: [Phil’s ex] and I worked together on This Morning. He was 21 when we took this photo in the studio. And it was clearly taken as a joke.’
If you are struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, you can contact The Samaritans helpline 24/7 on 116 123 for help and support