This Morning’s social media accounts have remained under the radar with no posts since Phillip Schofield admitted to having an affair with a younger colleague.
While there are usually daily updates on the program, the This Morning TikTok, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages have remained inactive since Friday.
The last post shared by all accounts was an excerpt from an interview with supermodel Elle Macpherson.
Later that day, Schofield admitted his affair with a mea culpa statement.
While the official accounts have remained untouched, social media has been awash with uncovered moments involving Schofield and his ex-lover.
Blackout: This Morning’s social media accounts have remained under the radar with no posts since Phillip Schofield admitted having an affair with a younger colleague
Confession: The last post shared by all accounts was on Friday. Later that day, Schofield admitted his affair with a mea culpa statement
Most recently, a video surfaced of the pair knocking down whiskey together on This Morning in 2016.
During the Christmas themed segment, Schofield and co-host Holly Willoughby were trying out alternative advent calendars, while Schofield’s lover – who worked as a runner on ITV – was dressed as an elf in the background.
After former Emmerdale actress Natalie Anderson showed them a whiskey advent calendar worth £1,000, the hosts were quick to try a bottle for themselves.
With Schofield raving about the “smooth” drink, he turned to his festively dressed lover and asked, “Do you want some?!”
After the younger man took a sip, he joked, “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.
The moment when Phillip Schofield drank whiskey with his younger lover on This Morning during a Christmas themed segment in 2016 has resurfaced
Schofield and Mrs. Willoughby pretend to be hungover on This Morning on January 21, 2016
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.
“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 evening, Holmes labeled Schofield, 61, a “lead 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 TV studio 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 no ask him about the affair as part of an investigation.
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 that started in 1988 and was presented by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan.
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 they are concerned about things needing to change and where that leaves their jobs.
It’s a very worrying time, but no one has any illusions 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.
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 half-time break that was scheduled before the scandal erupted.
A source told MailOnline that Ms Willoughby will headline the show on Monday as planned. She will be joined by Alison Hammond, according to a report.