It’s been a major weekend of drama for the stars of This Morning following Phillip Schofield’s statement admitting he lied about an “unwise” but not “illegal” relationship with a younger colleague on the set of the ITV show.
Phillip’s co-star for over a decade, Holly Willoughby, admitted she was “hurt” by Phillip’s “lie”. Now it seems like she wasn’t the only one. Senior producers are reportedly fearing other presenters are going to walk away as part of a mass exodus from the show.
This Morning: ITV producers ‘fearing an exodus’ of presenters
The Sun reports that “one household name” has “drafted a resignation statement” in the wake of Phillip Schofield’s admission. There have been calls by disgruntled fans for Holly Willoughby to quit the show too following Phillip’s statement.
Senior producers are now reportedly “fearing an exodus” of other presenters leaving the show, including Rochelle Humes and Alison Hammond. While Rochelle initially paid tribute to Phil on her social media after he first announced his exit, she hasn’t released a statement following his admission. In her initial tribute, she said she “learnt so much” from the This Morning star. She also added she had “big love” for him.
Other regular presenters include Dermot O’Leary, Jodie Gibson and Craig Doyle. They could be all also considering leaving, according to reports. The source said stars are worried the fall-out around Phil could be “disastrous” to their own brands. It’s also reportedly feared that other regulars who feature on the show could leave too.
Phillip’s former colleagues have been left “reeling” over his admission of lies and are “contemplating their on futures” on the ITV show amid fears it may be axed. A source told The Sun that the presenting talent are “unsure of their next move”. The source added that the stars felt like the whole Phillip Schofield saga has “left too much toxicity” and are “considering their future on the show”.
This Morning’s future ‘hanging on by a thread’?
As senior producers reportedly fear more presenters walking away, the whole “future of the show” is now “hanging on by a thread”. ITV bosses are now reportedly considering whether the show is “too toxic to continue”. In a statement following Phillip Schofield’s admission about his on-set affair, ITV said it did investigate the rumours at the time, but “did not find any evidence beyond hearsay”.
The source added that as viewers vow to boycott the show, ITV bosses are worried the brand is “forever tainted”. They also said This Morning could be “axed altogether” and replaced with a “new look format and a new name for the show”.
This Morning has been a staple for ITV since it debuted in 1988. The channel reportedly insisted it would be back on air tomorrow, hosted by Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary. Entertainment Daily has contacted representatives for This Morning for comment.
Read more: Disgusted This Morning presenter ‘has prepared resignation letter’ over Schofield scandal
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