Dr. Ranj Singh issues formal statement

Dr. Ranj Singh issued a statement after the publication of a photo showing himself next to the young lover of former This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield resurfaced this week.

Singh worked on the show for six years as a live-in medical expert alongside Schofield and his co-host Holly Willoughby before stepping down in 2022.

Veteran TV presenter Schofield, 61, resigned from ITV on Friday and was 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.

Singh said that two years ago when he worked there, he raised concerns about “bullying and discrimination” when he worked there and afterwards felt he had been “outed” for whistleblowing.

He has since moved to defend himself after a selfie of Singh with the young runner at the center of Schofield’s departure surfaced online.

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.’

Singh’s post comes just days after he became the last ex-colleague to condemn the show.

In a lengthy social media post, he 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.”

Singh said he had raised concerns with senior executives at ITV 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 because I whistled I was being led out.

“But as history and experience have taught us, things like bullying and discrimination are very hard to prove, especially in hindsight and when those in power dictate the narrative.

“As we’ve seen, no assessment or research is foolproof.”

The doctor said he was confident things would be addressed and changes would be made, but that he hasn’t worked on the show since – adding that two years after filing complaints “it still hurts do”.

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.”

According to The Mail on Sunday, Schofield first met the younger ITV colleague with whom he later had an affair when he was 15.