A TV doctor who previously worked on ITV’s This Morning has said the culture on the show became “toxic” and that he was “managed out” after he tried to raise his concerns.
Dr Ranj Singh, who made regular appearances offering medical advice, said that, over 10 years on the show, he grew “increasingly worried about how things were behind-the-scenes and how people, including myself, were being treated”.
It comes after Phillip Schofield resigned from ITV and was dropped by his talent agency after admitting lying about an affair with a young male colleague on This Morning.
The resignation followed weeks of speculation about tensions between Schofield and his co-presenter, Holly Willoughby, who has since said Schofield had initially denied the affair and called the admission that he was lying “very hurtful”. The duo first presented the show together in 2009.
ITV have said rumours of the affair were investigated when they first arose in early 2020 but that both Schofield, 61, and the younger man “categorically and repeatedly denied” any relationship.
In a post on Sunday, Singh said he had no knowledge of the affair and “genuinely loved and valued working” on This Morning, but that the issues with the show “go far beyond” Schofield.
“It takes more than one person to create a culture,” he wrote.
Singh said he raised his concerns over the working environment on the show about two years ago with ITV’s head of daytime, Emma Gormley, and that he had felt particularly compelled to do so because he had been involved with “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.”
Singh said that “things like bullying and discrimination are very hard to prove” and “no review or investigation is foolproof” but that he was “assured that certain things were going to be addressed and changes made”.
“I haven’t worked on the show since,” he wrote. “And I’m not the only one who has spoken up or experienced similar.”
An ITV spokesperson said: “We are sorry to read Dr Ranj’s post today. At ITV we are fully committed to providing every opportunity for anyone who works with us to raise any concern or comments they may have.
“Following a complaint made by Dr Ranj, we appointed an external and independent adviser to carry out a review. This external review found no evidence of bullying or discrimination.”
After Schofield’s resignation, This Morning has continued with cover presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, while Willoughby is taking a two-week holiday.
ITV has denied reports that This Morning is currently under review and could be axed as a result of the controversy.
