This Morning’s biggest scandals – Phillip Schofield affair, queue-gate and ‘toxic’ feud

This Morning has been a mainstay of British daytime TV, entertaining the nation since its launch in 1988.

The ITV show was initially hosted by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan for 13 years, and over the decades, it has seen a host of presenters including Coleen Nolan, Twiggy, Caron Keating, Ross Kelly, Ruth Langsford, Eamonn Holmes, Phillip Schofield, and Holly Willoughby.

Despite its popularity, the programme has faced significant backlash over the years and has been at the centre of numerous scandals. As This Morning marks its 35th anniversary, Express.co.uk has revisited some of the most contentious moments from the show’s history.

READ MORE: Holly Willoughby breaks silence after Phillip Schofield’s TV return as fans support her

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Here are some of the most controversial moments the TV show has faced…

Queuegate

One such incident, dubbed ‘Queue-gate’, occurred last year when Queen Elizabeth II passed away and many people queued for hours to see her lying in state at Westminster. Presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were accused of using their celebrity status to skip the queue, leading to public outrage.

A petition calling for the pair to be removed from the show gathered nearly 79,000 signatures. In response to the escalating controversy, they addressed the issue in a pre-recorded clip, explaining that they had official permission to access the hall along with other members of the press.

ITV issued a forthright statement, clarifying: “This Morning had press accreditation and like other media, Phillip and Holly were escorted to work from the press gallery by government staff.”

“They did not file past The Queen’s coffin. They were there alongside a host of other broadcasters and national press outlets for an item that will be broadcast on Tuesday’s show. Any allegations of improper behaviour are categorically untrue.”

Couple cull

Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford, mainstays of This Morning for 15 years, left their roles on the ITV favourite in 2020, stunning fans who had grown to love the pair’s Friday segments. Despite the popularity of their weekly slot, their departure made waves when it was announced Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary would take over, with Eamonn later admitting he was clueless as to why ITV decided to shake things up.

There were whispers suggesting his exiting was down to him being “too male, pale and stale”. Addressing the issue in his column, Eamonn mentioned: “The remarks hurt me a little, but they also ignited a fire in my belly.

“‘We’ll see about that,’ I thought to myself. I have since joined GB News, a channel at the start of an exciting journey, and the move has only underlined to me that there are still so many more exciting things to do and achieve.”

“Male, stale and pale? Forget it. The best is yet to come.”

Phillip Schofield fiasco

In another buzzing ITV matter, Phillip Schofield decided to leave his prime spot on ITV earlier this year. Amidst whispers of behind-the-scenes tension with pal Holly, the 61-year-old TV veteran owned up to getting involved with a young fellow employee.

Describing the romantic entanglement as “unwise but not illegal”, he conceded to fibbing about the affair to his employers when quizzed. In a candid revelation back in the day, Phillip Schofield remarked: “Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship.”

Reacting to the news of the romance, the big bosses at ITV expressed: “We are deeply disappointed by the admissions of deceit made tonight by Phillip Schofield. The relationships we have with those we work with are based on trust.”

They went on to add: “Phillip made assurances to us which he now acknowledges were untrue and we feel badly let down. We accept his resignation from ITV and therefore can confirm that he will not be appearing on ITV as had previously been stated.”

Since his dramatic departure, Holly’s been passing the presenting baton around, teaming up with telly faces such as Josie Gibson, Ben Shephard and Craig Doyle.

Prime Minister pickle

Back in 2012, David Cameron got quite the curveball chucked at him on live telly when Phillip Schofield sprung a list of supposed paedophiles on him during an on-air chat. This happened while the ex-PM faced queries over past allegations of a paedophile ring tied to the higher-ups at No 10.

Phillip Schofield found himself in hot water after inadvertently showing a list of names to viewers during an interview. He later issued an apology, stating: “If any viewer was able to identify anyone listed, I would like to apologise and stress that was never my intention.”

The former PM also weighed in on the blunder, criticising Phillip’s decision as neither sensible nor right.

Bullying allegations

The departure of Phillip has since opened the floodgates to a series of serious allegations against This Morning, with claims of bullying, discrimination, and a generally toxic work atmosphere coming to light.

The issue of toxicity at the show came to the forefront when Doctor Ranj Singh, a decade-long contributor, raised concerns about the treatment of staff. After bringing his worries to senior ITV figures, Ranj noticed a decline in his appearances on the show.

In a revealing statement, he said: “I even took my concerns directly to the top of ITV: the culture at This Morning had become toxic, no longer aligned with ITV values, and I felt like because I whistle-blew I was managed out.”

He continued, highlighting the difficulty of proving such issues: “But as history and experience have taught us, things like bullying and discrimination are very hard to prove, particularly in hindsight and when the ‘people in power’ control the narrative.”

“Still, I was assured that certain things were going to be addressed and changes made. I haven’t worked on the show since… and I’m not the only one who has spoken up or experienced something similar.”

However, a number of individuals associated with the show have refuted allegations of a toxic environment, with Dermot addressing the issue live on air.

He stated: “We all know we happen to be in the news at the moment and of course, we appreciate that but just from both of us, the whole team here, the crew, the guys downstairs, we love making this show for all of you.”

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk