ITV has been in reputational crisis the past few weeks following the departure of Phillip Schofield from its hit daytime TV show, This Morning.

Schofield initially stepped down from This Morning on 20^th May 2023, after his brother Timothy was jailed for 12 years over sex offences on 19^th May. At the same time, rumours had been gaining momentum about his relationship with a younger, male ITV colleague.

After initially lying about the affair, Schofield admitted to the Daily Mail on 26^th May that he had engaged in an “unwise but not illegal” relationship with the man in question, while still married to ex-wife Stephanie Lowe. It was then that he stepped down from ITV altogether.

In the days since the scandal came to light, there has been much speculation about whether his colleagues at ITV knew about the affair – particularly his ex-co-host Holly Willoughby – despite Schofield claiming he didn’t tell anyone.

Schofield’s talent agency of over 30 years, YMU, has since dropped the presenter, along with a host of other brands he was associated with, including WeBuyAnyCar, Craft Gin Club, and the Prince’s Trust who has removed him as an ambassador.

There is no doubt that ITV’s reputation has taken a hit, with its organisational integrity being questioned and its policies coming under scrutiny. So, how exactly have they dealt with the situation?

ITV’s response

Back in 2020, ITV launched an investigation following initial rumours of Schofield’s relationship, however both parties denied the relationship and no evidence was found “beyond hearsay and rumour”. Ever since, the ITV family has stood behind Schofield, most notably when he came out as gay live on air in February 2020, with Holly Willoughby, Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford by his side.

ITV has only issued one statement since Schofield stepped down on 20^th May. On 31^st May, the network announced an external review of how it handled Schofield’s affair, with an independent barrister set to scrutinise the people involved. This was confirmed in a letter from ITV chief executive, Dame Carolyn McCall, to the Culture Secretary, the DCMS Committee chair, and the Ofcom chief executive.

In the letter, Dame Carolyn vowed that ITV would “consider [their] relevant processes and policies and whether [they] need to change or strengthen any” and that they would be “happy to share the outcome”.

On 6^th June, ITV bosses are set to face MPs on the Commons DCMS Committee to discuss reforms to the laws governing public broadcasting.

With the events now causing widespread debate on social media, and Schofield’s ex-colleagues and other media personalities speaking out on the situation, ITV faces a serious reputational crisis.

How should ITV have handled recent events?

So, how exactly should ITV have managed the situation? Could they have managed their response better; or were they caught between a rock and a hard place?

It’s clear that the network’s executives did not see the situation coming – and really, how were they to know? Having dealt with allegations around the improper relationship with the initial investigation in 2020, in their eyes the situation had been handled. In an exclusive interview with the BBC on 2^nd June, Schofield was asked if the investigation in question was a “sham” given that it didn’t uncover truth; his response was “I think if you have two people that are lying, what can you do.”

However, it is the backlash from media personalities close to the situation and the general public on social media that ITV should really have addressed by now. At the very least, there should have been a clause in their employee’s contracts to prevent them from discussing such matters after departing the organisation.

What ITV has not done well here is control the message – which may have been because of the input from their legal team. While a ‘the less said, the better’ approach may work in other situations by not adding oxygen to the argument, in this case (where the situation is very delicate), ITV has not really communicated at all. Therefore, we’re not seeing concern for the welfare of any of their team… including Schofield and those behind the scenes.

TV presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, who have been covering Phillip and Holly’s show since the news broke, have addressed the situation by thanking Schofield and expressing concern for his welfare following his BBC interview – where Schofield said the fallout in the media had been “relentless” and that he knew now “how Caroline Flack felt”. Holly Willoughby, who returned to work on 5^th June, also expressed concern for the welfare of Schofield but also asked viewers if they felt ok, saying she imagines they are feeling a lot like herself; “shaken, troubled and let down.”

However, the question remains: is ITV really doing enough to combat the fallout? On the one hand, they are facing claims of a toxic work environment from ex-presenter Dr Ranj Singh and harsh critique from ex-presenter Eamonn Holmes, but on the other (and especially following Schofield’s BBC interview), outpourings of support and concern for the star… even Piers Morgan has stepped up and hit out at the “ruthless backstabbing in the world of daytime television”.

What lies ahead for ITV?

It is unclear exactly what ITV will do next. Will they directly respond to Schofield’s BBC interview and claim of suicidal thoughts? Do they have a duty of care for one of their former national treasures? Careful consideration will need to be given to the messages they are putting out in the coming weeks.

The future success of This Morning – ITV’s biggest daytime show – hangs in the balance, along with the future of ITV’s senior executives. While ITV’s share price initially dropped by nearly 2% after the announcement, it has now flattened out – although remains unstable. The network must show commitment to change in the days and weeks ahead if its reputation and value is to survive.