crystal clear
Piers Morgan says ‘everybody at ITV knew’ – Holly Willoughby is in ‘impossible position’ amid Phillip Schofield scandal
PIERS Morgan says "everybody at ITV knew" about Phillip Schofield's affair.
The TalkTV presenter claimed Holly Willoughby is in "impossible position" since returning to This Morning following the scandal.
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Holly - who claimed Phillip lied when she confronted him about rumours of an affair with a much younger colleague - told viewers she had been left feeling "shaken, troubled and let down" as she nervously read a statement on yesterday's show.
Now, weighing in on the drama, former ITV star Piers said: ”The one thing I know for sure, is a lot of people at ITV knew about these rumours, about this relationship.
"I mean everybody knew at ITV, right, let’s be crystal clear.
"That building was abuzz with this for about three years because three years ago at the National Television awards at the ITV box the young man concerned in this story confessed his undying love for Phillip Schofield. Everybody knew that.
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"This idea that the whole management is basically going [fingers in ears], ‘We didn’t know anything’. Come on. That I know is not true.”
Reflecting on Holly's This Morning speech, Piers added: “I like Holly Willoughby, she is a good friend of mine… she is in an impossible position.
"She had to come back contractually and do what she did.
“The hardest problem for Holly Willoughby will be who to replace him with. Poor old Susanna Reid, she's been through about 15 blokes now and none of them live up to me… I was trying to say that with a straight face.”
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Piers also said Phil - who he's known for 35 years - looked “completely broken” and slammed ITV’s management for the handling of the This Morning crisis.
“Phillip Schofield is a broken guy, he’s not going to work on television again almost certainly," said Piers.
"He’s lost everything in his life. I don’t know what more the baying mob on Twitter wants from Phillip Schofield that he hasn’t already lost?”
“The way they handle talent is morally schizophrenic.
"Depending on who you are and how important they think you are to the firmanet at any given moment or how important your agency is - in the case of Phillip Schofield… they make moral judgements based on that kind of stuff. That’s where they lose me. There’s no consistency.”
After Phillip's confession about the affair, an ITV spokesman said: "We are deeply disappointed by the admissions of deceit made tonight (Friday 26 May) by Phillip Schofield.
The relationships we have with those we work with are based on trust. Philip made assurances to us which he now acknowledges were untrue and we feel badly let down.
“We accept his resignation from ITV and therefore can confirm that he will not be appearing on ITV as had previously been stated.”
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