Eamonn Holmes attacks ITV again over Phillip Schofield investigation

‘They didn’t ask, I know exactly what they asked’: Eamonn Holmes launches fresh attack on ITV as he claims no one asked about Phillip Schofield’s affair as he demands a full transcript of the ‘investigation’

Eamonn Holmes has once again hit out at ITV and demanded a transcript of their investigation of Phillip Schofield. 

The presenter, 63, has been very vocal of his resentments with the broadcaster and has used every opportunity to blast them.

He accused ITV of not carrying out a thorough enough inquiry into Phillip’s affair with a younger colleague. 

Speaking on GB News on Wednesday, he said: ‘They didn’t ask [if he was having an affair], I know exactly what they asked.

‘They need a transcript of what actually took place that day because that was not a thorough investigation.’ 

On the attack: Eamonn Holmes has once again hit out at ITV and demanded a transcript of their investigation of Phillip Schofield

Accusations: He accused ITV of not carrying out a thorough enough inquiry into Phillip’s affair with a younger colleague

Guest Andrew Pierce agreed with Eamonn and backed up his statement, saying ITV ‘botched this inquiry’.

He added: ‘[ITV chief executive Dame] Carolyn McCall had a duty to get to the bottom of this. It was widely rumoured at ITV that this affair was going on. ITV botched this inquiry, it wasn’t even an inquiry.’

Their comments referred to the grilling of three broadcast bosses by the the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in the wake of Phillip’s departure after admitting to an ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a younger male colleague.

Among them was Dame Carolyn who admitted she failed to investigate and told MPs the broadcaster is paying for the star’s counselling.  

However, Dame Carolyn pushed back strongly against allegations that Phillip’s affair was an open secret at ITV as people including Piers Morgan, James Haskell and Eamonn had suggested, the session heard. 

Last month, Eamonn alleged that ITV had known about Phillip’s ‘unwise, but not illegal’ affair with a younger male colleague, accusing the broadcaster of a ‘total cover up’.

He also claimed that ‘those in authority had to know’ because the man was ferried between Phillip’s £1million home and the studios in taxis ‘paid for by ITV’.

Confession: TV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall admitted she failed to investigate and told MPs the broadcaster is paying for the star’s counselling

He said: ‘Thursday was playtime when he and Phillip would hit the town and then he obviously stayed overnight. There are records to show that he was brought in the next day separately in cars paid for by ITV.’

Eamonn also tweeted: ‘Four high members of ITV management knew what sort of man he [Phillip Schofield] was and never once took action to prevent him controlling or taking advantage of his position over young people.’

Quizzed on Eamonn’s claims on Wednesday, Dame Carolyn said in response: ‘It’s actually defamatory, never mind anything else.’

Eamonn has had a fraught relationship with ITV recently after he and his wife Ruth Langsford were controversially removed from This Morning in November 2021 after 15 years of a service. 

They were replaced by Friday hosts Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond.

Last month, he blasted ‘woke ITV’ and claims stars who do not agree with the bosses’ narrative are axed.

Eamonn claimed he was ‘never given a reason’ by Dame Carolyn as to why he was sacked, adding that there did seem to be ‘a political element’ to his dismissal. 

Cover up? Last month, Eamonn alleged that ITV had known about Phillip’s ‘unwise, but not illegal’ affair with a younger male colleague , accusing the broadcaster of a ‘total cover up’ 

Speaking in a bombshell interview, he agreed with his fellow GB News presenter Dan Wootton who suggested that anyone who questions ITV’s ‘woke narrative’ is pushed out the door.

He said that ITV liked a ‘certain order, even if that order is corrupt’, suggesting that presenters who went against their mandate, such as Jeremy Kyle and Piers Morgan, were removed while those like Phillip ‘were protected’.

Eamonn said: ‘They like a certain order, even if that order is corrupt, doesn’t matter if they are bending the rules or breaking the rules, but as long as they instigate lockdown, then it’s their way or the highway.

He continued: ‘I think the way of dealing with Carolyn McCall… is to laugh at [her] and laugh at their wokery because they are humourless, they are all humourless.’

He added that the director of television Kevin Lygo ‘stays silent of everything’ and ‘should not be allowed to’.

However, during Wednesday’s committee, Kevin launched an explosive response, accusing the GB News host of bitterness after he was axed from This Morning.

He said: ‘It’s quite a few people, who’ve got a platform now with a show elsewhere or a newspaper column, or just on Twitter, having a big go.

Claims: Eamonn also hit out at ITV executives in a scathing tweet

‘It just occurred to me the other day that these people, they worked as presenters on ITV for very long times, some of them, over ten years.

‘There was never any complaint from them whilst they were there, if they wanted anything it was “More work please, we love it here, can we do more”.

‘Presenters of programmes often have a slight feeling of divine right to stay there forever.

‘ITV as a company and producers of programmes maybe have a different agenda, want to change and refresh, want to bring on new people and so forth.

‘It’s only really – and this is why I do have sympathy for them – when you have to have the difficult conversation of “Thank you very much, it’s been really good but actually we’d like you to do less”.

‘It’s not very nice and I get that because this is their life, they love it, they’ve never complained, they thoroughly enjoy it.

Having his say: However, during Wednesday’s committee, Kevin Lygo (left) launched an explosive response, accusing the GB News host of bitterness after he was axed from This Morning

‘And their response is one of disappointment and “Oh, can’t I stay and do anything?”

‘Which is why I tend almost never to just “cut” but say “Thank you very much for all the work you’ve been doing, you’ve done a great job, but we want to try new things, we’re not jettisoning you, we’d just like you to do a bit less or something else for you”.

‘Because they have been, generally speaking, loyal servants to ITV and they deserve to be treated like that.

‘It’s not surprising that when they go, they’re suddenly like “Oh, I hate ITV, it’s awful”, when for decade or more, they were there reaping the rewards and enjoying the job and everybody seemed to get on.’

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