Kerry Katona accuses Phillip Schofield of ‘belittling’ her and wades in on ‘toxic’ culture

Kerry Katona accused Phillip Schofield of “belittling” her in an infamous 2008 interview when she sifted through This Morning’s “toxic” culture.

The TV personality, 42, broke her silence on the ongoing Phillip scandal while speaking to Dan Wootton on GB News on Wednesday night.

She reflected on an infamous interview she did on This Morning in 2008, in which 61-year-old Phillip questioned her live on air about her slurred speech.

Kerry accused him of “belittling” her and being “condescending” with his comments, explaining how her slurred speech was due to her bipolar medication.

She also claimed she was suicidal after the TV appearance and criticized ITV for allegedly not contacting her after the car crash interview.

Kerry waded about the “toxic” culture on the breakfast show, saying, “People don’t understand what that interview did to me emotionally.”

“Even now when I go back to ITV – which isn’t often – there’s a sense of snobbery and that I’m not good enough,” she added. “I feel like I need to impress them, I need to watch my speech, I can’t blemish.”

Speaking of how the interview left her at a “rock bottom,” Kerry said, “It was just awful. I was suicidal. I wanted to die, I wanted to commit suicide. It was everywhere.’

Kerry, who has been sober for 14 years, claimed that no one wanted to work with her after the interview when she discussed how it affected her daily life.

Kerry burst into tears as she explained how she still has to answer for the interview more than a decade later.

She tearfully said, “Even now, when I look at that video, I feel so embarrassed and so hard done by even now. For ten years I had to justify myself.’

‘I have no reason to lie [about the medication]even today I have to justify myself for that interview,” she added.

During the infamous 2008 live interview, Phillip questioned Kerry about her slurred speech and asked her if she was “OK,” despite her insistence it was due to her medication.

He asked her, “You don’t seem right to sit here now, you speak a little slurred, how do you feel now?”

Kerry then insisted she was absolutely fine and had never been healthier or happier, as she explained it was due to her medication.

In her interview on GB News, Kerry further claimed that she has met the younger This Morning co-worker that Phillip confessed to having an affair with.

She shared how she had met him during her time with Loose Women, adding, “I’ve met the young runner several times, pretty boy.”

MailOnline has contacted ITV for comment.

Last Friday, Phillip left ITV and was dropped by his talent agency YMU after admitting to having an affair with a young male This Morning colleague.

He confessed to having an “ill-advised but not illegal” relationship with a man during his marriage to Stephanie Lowe, previously denying the affair when asked by his agent.

The “ill-advised” relationship took place during his nearly 30-year marriage to wife Stephanie, 59, and Phillip said he was “so sorry” about being unfaithful.

Stephanie, who shares two children Ruby, 27, and Molly, 29, with Phillip, issued a statement when her husband came out as gay in a touching This Morning segment in 2020.

In a 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.

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.”

Following his statement, an ITV spokesperson said: ‘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.

“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.