Eamonn Holmes alleges ITV cover up of Phillip Schofield’s “unwise” affair

Holmes says ITV bosses “had to know” about Phillip Schofield’s affair with his younger lover, accusing them of covering it up.

Speaking to GB News on Monday evening (29th), he branded Schofield a “chief narcissist” who would go out for ‘playtime’ on Thursdays with the young man.

He also claimed that Schofield’s lover – a runner on This Morning – would be shuttled between the presenter’s flat and the studios in taxis “paid for by ITV”.

“It’s a total cover-up. Those in authority had to know. They had to know what was going on and they thought they would dodge the bullet which they did and they do constantly. All I’m here to do is to speak for people who hadn’t got a voice… I’m speaking on behalf of them.”

Holmes further disclosed that his wife Ruth Langsford remains in touch with Schofield’s ex-lover, describing him as a “lovely fella” and saying that “life is tough” for him right now.

Addressing the claims of toxicity on This Morning, Holmes said that Phillip “created an atmosphere where people hated him”.

“People would avoid him in the corridor. He didn’t look at anybody, didn’t know anybody’s name. Holly doesn’t know people’s names either. This is legendary within the production team, how distant they are, and how they just don’t care.”

Disgraced Schofield

Left: Eamonn presented This Morning every Friday with wife Ruth between 2006-2021. Right: Ruth also occasionally hosted with Phillip Schofield.

On Saturday 20th May, Schofield announced that he had “stepped down” from This Morning amid reports of a rift with co-host Holly Willoughby. A week later, he admitted to having had an “unwise, but not illegal” affair with a young male runner from the show.

ITV faces questions over how much it knew about the affair, but Schofield has not implicated the broadcaster, apologising for lying to them, his family, and the media. Due to the fact that the young runner was his junior on the daytime production, his behaviour has been criticised as an ‘abuse of power’.

According to ITV, it investigated rumours of the affair in early 2020, and both parties “categorically and repeatedly” denied that anything had happened.

“Both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip’s then agency YMU. In addition, ITV spoke to a number of people who worked on This Morning and were not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour,” the broadcaster said.