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ITV bosses have denied turning “a blind eye” to Phillip Schofield’s “deeply inappropriate” affair with a junior colleague, telling MPs they would have taken action had they been presented with evidence and not “rumours”.

Dame Carolyn McCall, the broadcaster’s chief executive, faced questions on Schofield’s departure from This Morning alongside managing director Kevin Lygo and general counsel Kyla Mullins, during a culture, media and sport committee session in parliament.

They told the hearing that both Schofield and the younger male colleague, referred to as Person X, “repeatedly denied” having a relationship until the presenter’s shock admission in May, and pushed back against claims it was an “open secret” – as made by people including former Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan.

Holly Willoughby (left) and Phillip Schofield attending the launch of Dancing On Ice 2020, held at Bovingdon Airfield, Hertfordshire. PA Photo. Picture date: Monday December 9, 2019. See PA story SHOWBIZ Ice. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA Wire.

Dame Carolyn said bosses “were repeatedly told nothing was happening”, and both men denied it “both formally and informally”, with Person X being questioned on 12 occasions over a period of time.

“There was only hearsay and rumour and speculation,” ITV’s chief executive said. “Nobody on the board would have turned a blind eye to something as serious as this.”

If evidence had emerged about the relationship, bosses “would have acted very swiftly”, she said.

During the session, the ITV bosses also responded to allegations of a “toxic” environment on ITV’s daytime shows, and faced questions about other issues such as the suicides of Love Island contestants and presenter Caroline Flack, and allegations about “abuse” and “bullying” on The X Factor.

Pic: Ken McKay/Talkback Thames/Shutterstock
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Singer Rebecca Ferguson recently hit out over allegations of ‘abuse’ on The X Factor. Pic: Ken McKay/Talkback Thames/Shutterstock

The hearing was called after Schofield, 61, resigned from ITV and admitted to the “unwise but not illegal” affair which started when Person X was 20. The presenter was subsequently dropped by his talent agency, YMU.

Dame Carolyn told MPs that the “imbalance of power, the imbalance of dynamics” made the relationship “deeply inappropriate”.

ITV bosses deny NDAs and gagging orders

The hearing was told the matter was looked into at around the time when Schofield came out as gay on This Morning in February 2020, supported by his then co-presenter Holly Willoughby.

Read more:
Phillip Schofield: Timeline of ITV departure
Key extracts from ITV chief executive’s letter on Schofield departure

Dame Carolyn confirmed Schofield has been “receiving counselling” since his exit from the show and that she is “very concerned” about his welfare.

She also confirmed there is “no gagging order or NDA” to stop Person X from speaking out about the situation, and denied he was given a “pay-off” when he left ITV. The hearing was told he received a standard redundancy payment.

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Schofield’s interviews explained

The ITV bosses were also asked about how the young man came to work at ITV. MPs heard he applied for work experience and listed Schofield as a family friend, but this was not that unusual and the application did not ring “alarm bells”.

Person X carried out work experience at This Morning for about two weeks when he was 19, and “impressed people” before he was later offered a longer-term fixed contract, the politicians were told.

ITV boss is no stranger to drama – but is she aware of everything happening behind the scenes?


Katie Spencer

Katie Spencer

Arts and entertainment correspondent

@SkyKatieSpencer

Being the big boss Dame Carolyn McCall has had to steer ITV through a sizeable chunk of off-screen drama – from Piers Morgan quitting and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host Jeremy Clarkson’s controversial columns, to the axing of Jeremy Kyle and Love Island’s post-show care.

She is no stranger to helping the channel ride out the headlines, and – subject to more than two hours of questioning from MPs – she claimed she welcomed the opportunity to “set out some of the facts” of what’s been happening at ITV.

She has needed to. ITV bosses tried persistently, she claimed, to find out what was going on between former This Morning star Phillip Schofield and a young runner.
The broadcaster’s argument about why no action was taken effectively boiled down to: how can you properly investigate with no concrete evidence?

Schofield’s fragile mental state surrounding his coming out as gay was also cited as a reason they felt they had to tread carefully. There was a focus on welfare, which is no doubt a key concern, and particularly in recent years after the death of Love Island presenter Caroline Flack.
Accusations that the runner in question had been made to sign a non-disclosure agreement were dismissed, while a “pay-off” that has been speculated about was explained as a standard redundancy payment after the COVID pandemic.

Is there a toxic working environment at This Morning? The bosses insisted no, and presented a rosy picture of how staff, when surveyed, gave glowing assessments of their employer. Whistleblowing numbers were widely displayed in staff toilets, they said, and in lifts, and every effort is made to make sure staff feel comfortable enough to express their concerns.

Professional boundaries were crossed, the power balance was “inappropriate”, Dame Carolyn admitted.
But her shocked reaction to claims brought up that viewers, on occasion, were referred to as “Tower Block Traceys” in production meetings was indicative of the fact that while she is across policy on a corporate level, management are unlikely to be aware of what’s being said further down the food chain.
Clearly, there is a disconnect there.

Is there a ‘toxic’ culture at This Morning?

Later in the session, MPs asked about allegations of a toxic culture at This Morning, and Dame Carolyn described these as “deeply” disappointing.

She confirmed the show has received two complaints about bullying or harassment in five years, and said these were “both taken very seriously”. One of these was from the show’s former resident doctor Dr Ranj Singh, who raised concerns about “bullying and discrimination” and afterwards said he felt like he was “managed out” for whistleblowing.

“It deeply disappoints me but we do not recognise that at This Morning, we have tangible evidence to tell you where the vast majority of people at daytime at This Morning are extremely engaged and very motivated,” Dame Carolyn said.

Read more:
Holly Willoughby’s full statement in This Morning return
Alison Hammond breaks down on This Morning
Schofield apologises over affair – and says he has ‘lost everything’

MP John Nicholson told the panel he had received many messages from employees past and present at ITV talking about the bullying culture at the broadcaster, with one describing daytime TV as “particularly toxic”.

Dame Carolyn replied: “They’re very disappointing to hear. Deeply distressing. I’ve said we’ve had two official complaints, both of them investigated – it does not fill me with anything but sorrow.”

She also described comments from This Morning editor Martin Frizell as “foolish”, after he referred to aubergines when asked by Sky News about allegations of a “toxic” work environment on the programme.

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This Morning boss: ‘Do you like aubergine?’

“I think Martin has made a mistake, I think he knows he made a mistake, I don’t think he intended to say that. It was a foolish comment; an ill-advised comment, I absolutely agree,” she said.

An independent review into the facts by a barrister, commissioned by ITV, was also discussed during the hearing, with Dame Carolyn saying: “There will be things to learn.”

The barrister will review complaints made since 1 January 2016, and consider whether steps taken to deal with them were “appropriate and adequate”.

The review is expected to be completed by the end of September.

The session ended with chairwoman Dame Caroline Dinenage saying the committee wants to be confident that “ITV isn’t letting star power and favouritism damage the lives or careers of those working there”.

Dame Carolyn responded by saying that ITV takes “every allegation about our culture seriously, but I think it would be very wrong to depict ITV as having an issue”.

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Western military chiefs set to meet to discuss ‘operational phase’ of Ukraine peace deal

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Western military chiefs set to meet to discuss 'operational phase' of Ukraine peace deal

Military chiefs from around the world will meet next week to discuss the “operational phase” of protecting Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force, Sir Keir Starmer has announced.

The prime minister hosted a virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing” on Saturday, which involved leaders of 26 nations, including Ukraine, plus the EU and NATO, to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

Speaking after the 90-minute meeting, Sir Keir revealed military chiefs from the group of Western nations would meet on Thursday as they move “into an operational phase”.

He said they would draw up plans to help secure Ukraine “on the land, at sea and in the sky” if a peace deal can be agreed with Russia.

Ukraine war latest: We must be prepared to defend peace deal

The day before, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accepted a proposal for a 30-day interim ceasefire as Russia agreed to an end to fighting, however, President Vladimir Putin said “lots of questions” remain over the proposals.

Sir Keir Starmer hosting a video conference call in Downing Street with international leaders to discuss support for Ukraine. Pic: PA
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Sir Keir Starmer hosting a video conference call of the ‘coalition of the willing’. Pic: PA

Notably absent from Saturday’s call was US President Donald Trump, but Sir Keir reiterated any peace deal requires a US backstop.

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He said the UK is talking to the US “on a daily basis” and there is a “collective resolve” to end the war, which has been shown by the “momentum we’re building up now” by the many allied countries being “on the same page” both politically and militarily.

He said Thursday’s meeting of military chiefs “is very much an operational planning meeting”.

The PM added the “coalition of the willing” had increased in size since leaders met for the first time just under two weeks ago at Lancaster House in London.

Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni was the most notable addition after reports she would “shun” the meeting because she is “not convinced” by the Anglo-French plan to send European peacekeepers to Ukraine.

Read more:
Zelenskyy says ‘good chance’ of ending war in Ukraine
‘A classic power play’ – Trump’s fixer made to wait eight hours to meet Putin

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire at a civilian hospital following a Russian drone attack in Zolochiv, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Friday, March 14, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
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On Friday, a Russian drone attack set a civilian hospital in Zolochiv, Kharkiv region, on fire. Pic: Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP

PM dodges what rules of engagement would be

Answering a question from Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates on what the rules of engagement would be for troops on the ground as part of a peacekeeping process, Sir Keir said the meeting will set that out.

He said he has already indicated he wants the UK “to play a leading role” in the provision of troops and air power, while other countries will have different capabilities.

But, he said a peace deal needs to be achieved first, which requires more pressure on Russia.

“If there’s going to be lasting peace, there’s going to have to be security arrangements,” the PM said, noting that Putin has previously broken a peace deal with Ukraine.

‘World needs action, not a study’

Sir Keir also said on the call that the gathering of leaders rejected Mr Putin’s “yes, but” approach, in reference to the Russian president saying he would agree to a ceasefire but there must be a “study” into how that would look.

The prime minister said: “The world needs action, not a study, not empty words and conditions. So my message is very clear. Sooner or later, Putin will have to come to the table.

“So this is the moment that the guns fall silent, that the barbaric attacks on Ukraine once and for all stop and agree to a ceasefire now.”

The PM revealed seizing Russian assets was discussed in the meeting but said it was “a complicated question”.

Despite striking US absence, progress was made


Amanda Akass is a politics and business correspondent

Amanda Akass

Political correspondent

@amandaakass

While Sir Keir Starmer’s coalition of willing world leaders weren’t standing literally shoulder to shoulder at this morning’s meeting, their united presence still sent a powerful message of support to the Ukrainians after another tumultuous week.

It was clearly important to make a united statement of conviction that the Ukrainians are the “party of peace”, willing to sign up to a ceasefire without conditions, and the Russians, therefore the de facto party of war, delaying a ceasefire and continuing with their “barbaric attacks”.

But what of the “concrete commitments” Sir Keir said he wanted to secure from the meeting?

While the PM said new commitments had been made, he gave no specific details beyond insisting the coalition would be moving into an “operational military planning” phase, with a meeting of military leaders to be held in the UK.

He had no detailed answer to Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates’ question about what power any troops deployed as part of the coalition of the willing would actually have to police any deal, arguing he was willing for UK forces to play a leading role but that operational capabilities will be discussed on Thursday.

Today’s messages were directed at both Russia and the US. Starmer insisted Russia would be forced to the table sooner or later – by the increased military support given to the Ukrainians and through the threat of greater economic sanctions. The long-held hope of seizing frozen Russian assets was also discussed, he said.

And as for his audience in the White House, the PM was demonstrating again that Europe and its allies have been listening to his calls to do more to shoulder the burden of defending Ukraine – and themselves.

But his argument that no peace deal can be secure and lasting without American security guarantees is unchanged. He reiterated all this needs to be done “in conjunction with the United States” and said his team are in daily talks with Washington.

For all the political power assembled online today, the absence of the US is as striking as ever. Despite that, progress continues.

Zelenskyy accuses Putin of lying to everyone

President Zelenskyy revealed he addressed the meeting and told them the path to peace “must begin unconditionally” and if Russia does not want to do that “then strong pressure must be applied until they do”.

He said the 30-day ceasefire proposal from the Americans negotiating in Saudi Arabia with the Russians has been on the table since Tuesday but accused Mr Putin of “lying to everyone” about the situation on the ground and about how a ceasefire is “supposedly too complicated”.

The Ukrainian leader pleaded with the West to “define a clear position on security guarantees” and for European nations to invest in defence so the continent has “its arsenals and the capability to produce the most advanced weapons”, and to strengthen air defence.

Mr Zelenskyy suggested another coalition of the willing meeting will be held in a week’s time.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Pic: Reuters
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Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for ‘strong pressure’ to be applied to Mr Putin until he accepts the ceasefire deal. Pic: Reuters

Who is part of the ‘coalition of the willing’?

The leaders involved in Saturday’s call were from: Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine and the UK.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Antonio Costa also joined.

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Russian captain of ship in North Sea crash appears in court

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Russian captain of ship in North Sea crash appears in court

The Russian captain of a ship involved in the North Sea crash has appeared in court.

Vladimir Motin, of Primorsky, St Petersburg, was remanded into custody after appearing at Hull Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

The 59-year-old has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter.

In a glass-front dock for the 35-minute long hearing, Motin heard how the Solong collided with the US-flagged oil tanker, the Stena Immaculate, on Monday, off the coast of Yorkshire.

There was no application made for bail and no pleas were entered.

Motin will appear at the Old Bailey on 14 April.

Map

One member of the Solong crew is thought to be dead.

He has been named by the Crown Prosecution Service as 38-year-old Filipino national Mark Angelo Pernia.

After the collision, there was an explosion on the forward deck of the Solong, where Mr Pernia was working.

His fellow crew members tried to find him before evacuating, but were not able to do so.

The crash took place about 13 miles off the Yorkshire coast and saw dozens of people forced to abandon the vessels as they caught fire.

Pic: AP/Dan Kitwood/Pool
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Pic: AP/Dan Kitwood/Pool

Plumes of smoke rise above clouds after Portuguese-flagged container ship, Solong, crashed into anchored Stena Immaculate, a tanker carrying U.S. military jet fuel, off Britain's east coast, as seen from mid-air, in this handout image obtained by Reuters on March 11, 2025. Paige Langley/Handout via REUTERS    THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.
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Smoke from the collision between the two ships in the North Sea seen above the clouds.
Pic: Reuters/Paige Langley

A large search and rescue operation was launched and successfully brought 36 people from both ships back ashore.

The Portuguese-flagged Solong had been sailing from Grangemouth, in Scotland, to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, at the time of the collision.

It was initially feared to be carrying sodium cyanide, but the German owner Ernst Russ said four containers on the vessel had previously been carrying the chemical.

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The Stena Immaculate is still at anchor at the same point where the collision happened.

Meanwhile, the Solong drifted south of this location, but both vessels were said to be “stable”, with salvors having boarded to assess the damage.

The Stena Immaculate had been carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated tanks – at least one of which was “ruptured” during the collision, US shipping firm Crowley, who operates the ship, said.

But it said the jet fuel spill was having a “limited” impact.

Most of it had burned off, and there were no signs of further leaks from either ship.

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Children ‘being rejected’ by NHS mental health services if they’re autistic, parents say

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Children 'being rejected' by NHS mental health services if they're autistic, parents say

Damien Dalmayne, 17, is autistic. He also battles mental health issues that have left him unable to get out of bed and contemplating harming himself.

Warning: This story contains references to suicide

“There were thoughts of me doing stuff to myself. I never did but there were stages where it would get pretty hard and it really did get to that point that I was really considering it,” Damien says.

His depression spiralled during the COVID lockdowns and when he was 15 he was referred to his local NHS mental health team in Greenwich.

The paediatrician who made the referral recommended that Damien be seen “urgently”.

But Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) rejected the referral, instead referring Damien and his family to a local social services team.

Damien believes he was rejected because of his autism diagnosis.

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“They [CAMHS] think they can’t help people with special needs. They think ‘that’s just a terminal illness’ even though it’s not,” says Damien.

In its rejection letter, Greenwich CAMHS agreed Damien “experiences emotional difficulties”.

But, noting his autism diagnosis, it suggested he see the area’s Children with Disabilities Team, rather than a specialist mental health service.

Crucially, his mother, Emma Dalmayne, says this meant they were unable to access specialist services like therapy to help Damien.

Autism and mental health ‘seen as separate issues’

Ms Dalmayne says a confused social worker called her after Damien’s referral was redirected to their team.

“They said ‘why have we been called?’ I said ‘I don’t know’.”

“CAMHS see autism and mental health as separate for some reason,” says Ms Dalmayne.

“If you’re not well you go to a doctor, you get help. But no, if you’re mentally ill and autistic and go to a doctor, you’re not getting anything. You’re told ‘well we can’t see you because you have a neurological difference’.”

The NHS trust responsible for Greenwich CAMHS said it is unable to comment on individual cases but stressed it does accept referrals for autistic children who have a “severe and enduring mental health need”.

However, it said children may be referred to other services “where referrals do not meet the threshold for CAMHS”.

CAMHS are run by different health trusts throughout the UK.

Emma Dalmayne
Image:
Ms Dalmayne is campaigning for better access to CAMHS for autistic children

Ms Dalmayne says she has spoken to other parents with autistic children who have had similar experiences.

She says she knows one mother who is scared to tell her local CAMHS that her son has been diagnosed as autistic because she worries they will stop his care.

“It’s not an inclusive world. We don’t feel included at all,” says Ms Dalmayne, who is also autistic.

Damien believes NHS services don’t think autistic people can engage effectively with therapy.

“It’s not like just talking to a wall. They [autistic children] will end up listening and if they can they will end up talking.”

He says his experience with CAMHS left him feeling “inhuman”.

Damien ended up using his disability benefits to pay for private therapy.

“If I had waited probably six months [longer to get therapy], I probably wouldn’t be here. They [CAMHS] really put my health at risk,” he says.

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‘Significant’ rise in children admitted to acute hospital wards for mental health issues

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, which administers Greenwich CAMHS, said: “Currently, just over 16% of our CAMHS caseload includes children and young people with both an autism diagnosis and a severe and enduring mental health need. This does not include children and young people either waiting for or currently being assessed by an autism diagnostic service alongside CAMHS.

“Should individual circumstances change, re-referrals can be made. CAMHS is just one part of a much larger collection of services delivering emotional health and wellbeing support and services to children and young people.”

People with autism more likely to experience mental health issues

Sky News tried to get a clearer picture of autistic children’s access to CAMHS across the UK, but when we requested data from health trusts, the majority did not disclose the number of referrals and rejections for autistic children.

We did learn of the serious pressure facing services nationally, with data showing total referrals to CAMHS had risen by 60% between 2018 and 2023. Rejections from CAMHS were up by 30% across the same period.

While it’s difficult to get a sense of the number of autistic children accessing CAMHS, autistic people are more likely to experience mental health problems than people who aren’t autistic.

Damien says the rejection by CAMHS put his health at risk
Image:
Damien says the rejection by CAMHS put his health at risk

Sky News spoke to one CAMHS nurse anonymously – we aren’t identifying the health trust she works for.

She said nationally it’s a mixed picture in terms of the level of care autistic children receive.

“We [CAMHS] certainly don’t do enough for children that have been diagnosed with autism in terms of their post-diagnostic support.”

She says she has witnessed preconceptions about autism among staff that can lead to autistic children not getting the care they need.

Skills ‘aren’t consistent’ across health service

“Some people [working in CAMHS], sometimes might tend to say ‘well it’s [their issues are] because of their autism’ as opposed to thinking well actually they might be autistic but they can also have a mental health difficulty that can be supported,” says the nurse.

“A child that has autism and mental health needs, that’s not going to be solved by social services, they need mental health support.”

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She says skills aren’t “consistent” across the health service and that autistic children can be at a disadvantage if their behaviour means more traditional forms of talking therapy aren’t appropriate.

The nurse continues: “I’ve known it happen where people say ‘oh this person is not engaging’ so they get discharged.

“Sometimes therapy is not always helpful, then it’s about different, more holistic ways to support children and support behavioural changes.

“I do think there’s a need to increase skills within CAMHS absolutely. [Staff] recruitment and retention has been difficult across the board.”

Ms Dalmayne is campaigning for better access to CAMHS for autistic children, her biggest fear is that autistic children and adults are hurting, and even killing themselves, if they can’t access mental health support.

“It makes me feel we’ve got to do everything we can to change it,” she says.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK

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