ITV confirmed the presenters of This Morning on Monday, the first show since Phillip Schofield’s affair with a younger male colleague was revealed.
On Friday, the 61-year-old presenter left ITV with immediate effect after admitting he cheated on wife Stephanie with the man, while also admitting he had deceived his ITV staff and colleagues about his affair.
The future of This Morning was uncertain over the weekend, with calls for it to be scrapped altogether.
However, an ITV spokesman told Web: ‘This Morning is not under review and there are no plans to cancel the show.’ This Morning will return on Monday.’
A spokesperson has now confirmed that Alison Hammond, 48, and Dermot O’Leary, 50, who normally host on Fridays, will be hosting tomorrow’s show.
Update: ITV has confirmed the presenters of This Morning on Monday, the first show since Phillip Schofield’s affair with a younger male colleague was revealed
Familiar faces: A spokesperson has now confirmed that Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, who normally host on Fridays, will be hosting tomorrow’s show
Alison and Dermot previously took over moderation duties after Phil stepped down from This Morning last week.
Craig Doyle also joined Alison mid-week and the two interviewed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak together.
Alison and Dermot feel let down by Phillip after his affair with a significantly younger male colleague was confirmed just days after their effusive tribute to the presenter.
On Friday, the 61-year-old left ITV and was sacked by his talent agency YMU after revealing he had an affair with a young colleague while still married to Stephanie Lowe – the mother of his two children.
The couple had paid tribute to ‘top broadcaster’ Phillip at the opening of their usual weekend show, just 24 hours after his last appearance on This Morning after 21 years on camera.
The couple are now said to be upset at being drawn into the situation after details of his affair with the colleague, who was said to be a runner who wanted to be a TV presenter, finally emerged.
A source told Web: “Obviously a lot of people both in front of and behind the camera were upset after Phillip’s extraordinary statement on Friday. It’s fair to say they’re disappointed.”
It was reported that This Morning presenters threatened to quit after news of the affair broke this week.
It is now said that This Morning could come under pressure as the job of senior bosses like chief executive Carolyn McCall could be in jeopardy as the show comes under pressure to reveal what they knew about Phil’s affair with the young runner.
Some of the show’s hosts have even threatened to quit amid the toxic consequences – one household name has already penned a resignation letter following Phil’s admission.
“All of This Morning’s senior team is on damage control and is concerned the presenters may walk away.”
“Phillip undoubtedly believes he was trying to do the right thing, but the overwhelming feeling on set is that procedures need to be put in place to ensure the same mistakes never happen again.”
“Some presenters feel that the saga has left too much toxicity on the show, it cannot survive and they are contemplating its future.”
Phillip received just a 30-second tribute at the start of This Morning on Friday May 19 when Alison and Dermot stepped in after he was sacked after 21 years.
The couple started the show by briefly discussing his exit, but there was no montage, just a single on-screen photo of the veteran host and about half a minute of warm words.
Opening the show, Alison said, ‘We cannot begin tonight’s show without paying tribute to the man who has spent the last two decades on the This Morning sofa.’ Phillip Schofield.’
Dermot added: “As a show, everyone on and off screen at ITV and This Morning says a huge thank you to Phil for what he’s done to make the show such a success over the past 21 years.”
Alison continued, “Quite simply, we all know he’s one of the best live television channels this country has ever had and we and the whole team wish him all the best for the future.”
It’s currently unclear who will be hosting tomorrow’s show and if Alison and Dermot will be stepping in again.
A week later, Phillip announced he had left ITV entirely, stepping down from his last existing engagement with the channel, the British Soap Awards.
The broadcaster, who was also fired by longtime agent YMU, admitted to having an affair with a younger male This Morning colleague.
When the colleague was 15, the student asked him for a job, and Phillip later arranged an interview for him. This led to him taking a job as an ITV production assistant at the age of 18. Some time later their affair began.
News of Alison and Dermot’s dismay comes just hours after MP Nadine Dorries put pressure on Phillip’s co-host Holly Willoughby and called for an investigation into complaints made to ITV about Phillip on This Morning.
The former culture minister also accused him of bullying and abuse of “authority, power and trust” after admitting to having an affair with the younger colleague and covering it up with lies.
The presenter left ITV after admitting to the Mail he lied about an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a much younger man. He also apologized to his wife Stephanie, almost 30, who stood by him after he came out as gay in 2020.
His 13-year-old co-host Holly, who Dorries’ wife now claims has “questions to answer”, said it was “hurting” to learn she had been lied to about rumors about the affair speech.
Sources close to the host said it was a “traumatic” revelation for the This Morning host and a “time of real sadness” because Schofield was “her very close friend” but she “had absolutely no plans.” to leave the show”.
ITV confirmed they had investigated rumors of the relationship that first circulated in 2020 but that Phillip and the young man had “repeatedly denied” the affair.
Kevin Lygo, director of television at ITV, today denied any errors were made in the channel’s investigation. When asked if any mistakes had been made, he simply replied “no” as Sky News confronted him about which bosses at ITV knew what.
While Phillip’s 38-year career is in tatters, Ms Dorries is the latest to speak out against the TV presenter, who has been accused of “toxic” behavior by eight ITV stars, according to Dan Wootton.
Warm words: After his final show on Thursday May 18, Alison and Dermot paid tribute to Phil for just 30 seconds (Phil appeared on This Morning this month with his former co-host Holly Willoughby).
Apology: Phillip’s affair came during his nearly 30-year marriage to his wife Stephanie, 59, and Phillip said he was “so sorry” for having been unfaithful
Calling for an inquiry into the complaints made to ITV, she told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg today: “The fact that Phillip Schofield has emailed a rather humble apology to the Chron seems to understand that it is now.” and everything will go on. I am afraid that is not the case.
“What it actually does is raise more questions about what happened.” We know ITV has had complaints for a long time. What happened to these complaints? I think the show’s editor, Martin Frizell, has a few questions of his own to answer.
“And I’m afraid so does Holly Willoughby. How did this little boy, so young, get a job at ITV? Which processes were involved? What protections were there for someone so young? Which contact was made first? Who contacted whom?’
When asked if moderators like Schofield had too much power, Ms Dorries, who recently introduced herself, added: “There are men, especially men, who hold positions of authority or positions of trust and power and think they are above the law .” and above the standards that the rest of us hold and that we hold ourselves to.
“I think there’s absolutely an element of what’s happening.”
Describing her own experience on the This Morning sofa, she said: “[It’s] It is never easy, as you know Laura, being interviewed by a moderator or journalist as a politician, it is never an easy experience.
“But I found that he was quite bullying in his attitude toward the co-anchor who was filling in for Holly Willoughby.” That made me more uncomfortable than answering the questions. When the camera was on me and I was talking, he started aggressively typing on the scripts with his hands, the pages clattering. “The co-host looked scared.”
Phillip admitted to the affair, which he said was “unwise but not illegal”, in a lengthy statement on Friday, and also apologized to his wife and family.
The “unwise” relationship took place during his nearly 30-year marriage to his wife Stephanie, 59, and Phillip said he was “so sorry” for having been unfaithful.
Stephanie, who shares children Ruby, 27, and Molly, 29, with Phillip, made a statement when her husband came out as gay in a moving segment of This Morning in 2020.
In a statement, the former ITV presenter said: “I am making this statement via the Chron to which I have already personally apologized for misleading a story about my lawyer who I also misled .” [sic] what you wanted to write about me a few days ago.
“The first thing I want to say is, I’m deeply sorry that I lied to you and many others about my relationship with someone who worked on This Morning.”
Family: Stephanie has two daughters with Phillip, Ruby (27) and Molly (29). Stephanie pays tribute to Phil when he came out as gay in 2020