Phillip Schofield: Ex-This Morning star Dr Ranj Singh criticises ‘toxic culture’ at ITV show and claims he was ‘managed out’
Former This Morning star Dr Ranj Singh has spoken out in the wake of the Phillip Schofield controversy and hit out at the “toxic culture” at the ITV daytime show.
He claimed he was “managed out” after taking his concerns to Emma Gormley, the head of ITV Daytime.
“I was on the show for 10 years and I genuinely loved and valued working there,” he said in a post on Twitter.
“However, over time I grew increasingly worried about things were behind the scenes and how people including myself, were being treated.
“I didn’t know the truth about what was going on with Philip [sic], but I do know the issues with TM [This Morning] go far beyond him. It takes more than one person to create a culture.”
Dr Ranj said he “did what I thought was right” and made a complaint about This Morning editor Martin Frizell’s behaviour, adding “especially given that my job is to look after people’s wellbeing and I had been heavily involved in diversity, anti-bullying and mental health projects across the channel”.
“I then found myself being used less and less,” 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.
“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. As we’ve seen, no review or investigation is foolproof.
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‘No mistakes’ were made says ITV boss
“I haven’t worked on the show since… and I’m not the only one who has spoken up or experienced similar,” he added.
“That was two years ago and, frankly, it still hurts. The whole process was pretty heart-breaking and even affected my mental health. But I’m happy to say I’ve found my feet again, know my worth and have found my tribe.
He continued: “There are some good people in TV, but we need to be brave and stand up to those who aren’t. Even if it’s scary as hell, we have to do the right thing otherwise nothing will change. I sincerely hope something good comes from all this.”
He also added in the post’s caption that “there is so much more” he could say.
An ITV spokesperson earlier confirmed to Sky News they carried out an external review following a complaint made by Dr Ranj, and it “found no evidence to support the complaint of bullying”.
It comes as ITV confirmed that Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary will present the show tomorrow after days of significant revelations about ex-presenter Phillip Schofield’s behaviour and the culture on set.
Last Saturday, Phillip Schofield announced he would be leaving This Morning after 20 years at the helm following reports his relationship with co-host Holly Willoughby had become strained.
Less than a week later, Schofield released a statement admitting an “unwise, but not illegal” affair with a “much younger man” and announced he was stepping down from ITV completely.
He also admitted he lied about the affair to ITV bosses, his agents and the media, resulting in the channel saying the were “deeply disappointed by the admissions of deceit” and the management company YMU Group dropping him.
ITV confirmed on Saturday they had investigated “rumours of a relationship” but the pair repeatedly denied the affair.
Ms Willoughby said the admission was “very hurtful” while other TV personalities including Eamonn Holmes and Andrea Catherwood hit out at ITV executives.
Entertainment
Garth Brooks: Country music star accused of rape by former hair and make-up artist in lawsuit
Country music star Garth Brooks has been accused of rape and sexual assault in a lawsuit filed by his former hair and make-up artist.
The woman, who does not use her name in the lawsuit and goes by Jane Roe, claims the assault occurred when she travelled from Nashville to Los Angeles with the singer, who was performing at the 2019 Grammy Awards.
The lawsuit – filed on Thursday in the Los Angeles Superior Court – alleges that despite Brooks normally travelling with an entourage, she and Brooks flew alone to the event on his private jet, and that he had booked just one hotel suite for both of them.
The woman claims that in the suite, he appeared naked in the doorway to the bedroom and raped her.
Representatives for Brooks have so far refused to comment.
Garth Brooks with his wife and fellow country singer Trisha Yearwood. Pic: AP
The suit goes on to say Books proceeded as though nothing had happened and expected her to do his hair and make-up immediately after.
The woman further alleges that earlier in that same year, when she was at Brooks’ home, he had appeared naked in front of her, grabbed her hands, and put them on his genitals.
Pre-empting the allegations, Brooks allegedly filed a separate lawsuit in federal court in Mississippi last month in which both him and the woman were anonymous, Thursday’s lawsuit claims.
In court filings in that case, the plaintiff, named as John Doe, said the allegations were “wholly untrue”, and he first learned of them in July when she threatened to publicly sue him unless he gave her millions of dollars.
He asked a judge to stop the woman from “intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation and false light invasion of privacy”.
The lawsuit by Jane Roe claims that on top of the two described incidents, Brooks exposed himself to her on many other occasions, talked about sexual fantasies with her and sent her explicit text messages.
She says she was forced to keep working for him because of financial hardship, which he knew about and took advantage of.
The unnamed claimant is believed to have also worked for Brooks’ wife, fellow country singer Trisha Yearwood, since 1999.
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Oklahoma-born Brooks, 62, was the biggest star in country music of the 1990s, with hits including Friends In Low Places and The Thunder Rolls.
He remains the number one-selling individual artist in US history with 20 Billboard no 1 singles and 157 million record sales, according to his official website.
In March this year, he finished a residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.
He married fellow country star Yearwood in 2005.
Entertainment
Noel Gallagher surprises ‘dear friend’ Jill Furmanovsky with icon prize at Abbey Road Music Photography Awards
Noel Gallagher has made a surprise appearance at the Abbey Road Music Photography Awards to honour “one of my best friends” Jill Furmanovsky with a special icon award.
The Oasis star described the music photographer, who has captured some of the world’s biggest stars on camera in a career spanning more than 50 years, as the “best ever”.
Furmanovsky’s subjects include everyone from Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd, and Bob Dylan, to Blondie, Kate Bush, and Billie Eilish. She started working with Oasis in the 1990s and continued to photograph the band and Gallagher over the years.
“She’s a very, very dear friend of mine… and it’s been an honour to have been associated with her for 30 years,” Gallagher said on stage at the event at Abbey Road Studios in London. “I can only say that she is as lovely as she seems, she’s one of my best friends, and I adore her.”
Furmanovsky told the audience she was “so overwhelmed” to be honoured as a photography icon, especially as she had not been aware the star would be presenting the prize.
Liam and Noel Gallagher in San Francisco, 1995 – Jill Furmanovsky
‘They were on a comet, hanging on for dear life’
Speaking to Sky News earlier on, she said her body of work with Oasis is the one she is most proud of.
“I was just the right age to be working with them – I was experienced, I wasn’t intimidated,” she said.
“They were so fantastic. It was just a time when they were sort of on a comet, hanging on for dear life, and I felt like I could actually offer something in the way of my experience… they allowed me to be close to them, which was just incredible as a gift.”
Furmanovsky said her first reaction was to feel “bemused” when she heard about the Oasis reunion announcement earlier this year “as there was so much against it… and it just didn’t seem like it was going to happen”.
The big question, then: did she get a ticket?
“I couldn’t get tickets,” she laughs. “I tried to… they’ll let me in, though. They’re going to let me otherwise I’m going to go to [the Gallaghers’ mum] Peggy.”
Joking aside, Furmanovsky said she would “absolutely” be there to photograph what will be history-making shows. “I’ve got to do it, haven’t I?”
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Graham Coxon’s sky-high guitar over Blur’s show at Wembley Stadium picked up the music moment of the year prize for Tom Pallant. Pic: Tom Pallant
Francis Mancini’s image of DJ Darren Styles won the live music prize. Pic: Francis Mancini
On being named an icon and receiving the award at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, Furmanovsky said: “I really don’t have words for it. When I was a teenager, I used to stand outside with my autograph book waiting to see the Beatles…
“I once took a picture of Paul McCartney with a Kodak Instamatic; I once wrote a letter saying, ‘could I come into Abbey Road for my school magazine?’ Which of course, they said no. I finally came here in the 1970s with Pink Floyd, I was allowed in. It was holy ground to me. And since then, I’ve come many, many times. It’s like a second home. It’s an iconic place.”
As well as the icon prize, awards were handed out for live music photography, music portraiture and musical moments. Among the winners were Tom Pallant, for his picture capturing a guitar thrown high into the air over Wembley Stadium by Blur’s Graham Coxon, and Frances Mancini, for a fiery picture of DJ and producer Darren Styles.
Winners were chosen from some 22,000 images entered, with Rankin leading the judges.
US rapper Eminem is to become a grandfather.
The 51-year-old revealed the news in a music video released on Thursday for his song Temporary, which is dedicated to his daughter Hailie Jade.
The video features a montage of clips of the pair during their lives – including a moment when she presents her father with a blue jumper with “Grampa 1” written on the back.
Jade then hands him what appears to be an ultrasound scan – which a visibly surprised Eminem then shows to the camera.
The 28-year-old also later confirmed her pregnancy in an Instagram post on Thursday.
The social media influencer uploaded photos of herself and husband Evan McClintock hugging and looking at the ultrasound image.
She wrote: “Mom & dad est. 2025”.
Temporary, which features singer Skylar Grey, is from the rapper’s latest album The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grace), which was released earlier this summer.
Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, explains in the introduction to the emotional track that it is for his daughter to listen to “When I’m no longer here”.
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He adds: “I wrote you this song, To help you cope with life now that I’m gone… Sweetie, be strong, I know I was your rock, And I still am…
“You will get over me and move on, you can play me on repeat on a song. But don’t you dare shed a tear”.
In the chorus, Grey sings: “In time, I’ll be fine. The tears are temporary.”
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Jade, who married her husband in May, is the only biological daughter of Eminem with his ex-wife Kim Scott.
He also adopted two of Scott’s daughters from previous relationships.
The rapper, who shot to fame with his single My Name Is in 1999, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
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