Phillip Schofield downs whiskey with his young lover on This Morning in resurfaced clip

The moment Phillip Schofield drank whiskey with his younger lover on This Morning has resurfaced.

During the Christmas themed segment in 2016, Schofield and co-presenter Holly Willoughby tried out alternative advent calendars, while Schofield’s lover – who worked as a runner on ITV – was dressed as an elf in the background.

After Natalie Anderson showed them a whiskey advent calendar worth £1000, the hosts were quick to try a bottle for themselves.

With Schofield raving about the “slick” nature of the drink, he turned to his festively dressed lover and remarked “Do you want some?” letting him take a sip while adding “let’s beat up the elf!”

The clip has resurfaced as ITV bosses face further questions about what they knew about Schofield’s affair with his colleague.

It is alleged that the younger lover has received a financial settlement from the broadcaster.

The Daily Mail has learned he has been paid after ending the on-again, off-again relationship, which Schofield described as “ill-advised but not illegal”.

ITV has repeatedly declined to comment on or deny the alleged payout.

There were no comments from a representative for the presenter, who left the channel on Friday after revealing to the Daily Mail that he had lied about the affair to our sister paper, The Mail on Sunday.

But a source claims the money was handed to the man, who, after declaring his love for Schofield at an awards show in January 2020, was diverted to another network daytime show, Loose Women.

He no longer works there.

ITV insiders said bosses at some level must have been aware of every payment.

One added: ‘There have been countless payouts at ITV and they have always had to be arranged and approved by people of a certain seniority.’

The claims come as pressure has mounted on the broadcaster’s CEO Dame Carolyn McCall, TV director Kevin Lygo and daytime head Emma Gormley to speak out about what they knew.

A source at the channel said: “This is unraveling fast and there is no indication it will end anytime soon.

Tasting: Schofield and co-host Holly Willoughby were trying out alternative advent calendars while Schofield’s lover – who worked as a runner – was dressed as an elf in the background

Taste: After Natalie Anderson showed them a whiskey advent calendar worth £1000, the hosts were quick to try a bottle for themselves

“There are a lot of people who feel disadvantaged by ITV and they now have the confidence to have their say.

“The house of cards seems to be collapsing, it’s a mystery where this ends now.”

It comes after former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes accused ITV bosses of orchestrating a ‘total cover-up’ of Schofield’s affair with his younger lover, saying the authority figures ‘should have known’ of the secret relationship.

The pair met when Schofield was in his fifties, giving a lecture to a theater school. At that time, his future lover was 15 and eager to pursue a career in the TV industry.

He moved to London at the age of 18 and started working at This Morning before entering into the secret relationship with the presenter.

In an interview on GB News on Monday night, Holmes called Schofield, 61, a “head narcissist” who would “go to town” on Thursday for “playtime” with the young man.

He claimed that Schofield’s lover would be transported between the presenter’s central London flat and the studios in taxis paid for by the network.

Holmes said, “I didn’t know, but I later learned from a very, very good source, because he was due to arrive much earlier in the morning than I would for the programme, that he was delivered to Phillip’s house in London.”

“Usually on a Friday morning, because Thursday was game time, he and Phillip would go to town and then, of course, he would stay the night. There are records showing he was brought in separately the next day in cars paid for by ITV.’

When asked if management should have known, Holmes replied, “Unless Phillip paid the bills separately, but it would still have to pass through accounting that they would have seen and known that.”

Holmes, 63, also claims he approached senior management who worked for Ms McCall to tell them about Schofield’s relationship with the young production assistant.

He said: “I had gone to ITV senior bosses, people who worked for Carolyn McCall, the CEO, in November 2019 with the story of Phillip having this inappropriate relationship with the young man and urged them to to investigate why , at least, wouldn’t you investigate?

“I didn’t say Phillip was guilty of anything. I told you to start an investigation.’

Sources close to Schofield hit back at Holmes, saying, “If Eamonn Holmes wants to be so cruel to someone in Phillip’s position, I think that says more about Eamonn than Phillip.”

ITV are still refusing to give the Daily Mail more details about an investigation they say has taken place. Sources close to the younger man say he has not performed any.

On Saturday, ITV released a statement saying that ‘both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours, as did Phillip’s then-agency YMU’.

ITV would not say whether the investigation was independent and external or who conducted it and when.

The scandal threatens to topple This Morning, the daytime program launched in 1988 and hosted by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan.

Scandal: Former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes has accused ITV of orchestrating a ‘total cover-up’ of Schofield’s affair

A source on the show said yesterday: ‘Talks are already taking place between staff about how concerned they are that things need to change and where that leaves their jobs.

“It’s a very troubling time, but no one is under any illusion that the show can stay the same. It needs to be renamed because so much trust has gone.”

In the second part of the interview, which aired last night, Holmes agreed with MailOnline columnist Dan Wootton that if anyone questions Ms McCall’s “awakened story,” they’re out.

Sources close to Schofield said, “If Eamonn Holmes wants to be so cruel to someone in Phillip’s position, I think that says more about Eamonn than Phillip.”

ITV are still refusing to give the Daily Mail more details about an investigation they say has taken place. Sources close to the younger man say it did not ask him about the affair as part of an investigation.

ITV bosses will be questioned by MPs about the broadcaster’s handling of the Schofield affair when they face the Commons culture committee next Tuesday.

Despite the ongoing scandal, Holly Willoughby returns to This Morning the following Monday an extended layover.

A source told MailOnline that Willoughby will headline the show on Monday as scheduled. She will be joined by Alison Hammond, according to a report.