As the Phillip Schofield controversy reaches fever pitch, it seems anyone who’s ever shared a lift with the former This Morning presenter is offering their opinion. So here’s mine.
I appeared on the TV show with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and worked in the same building for more than 10 years on the Lorraine show.
And if even half the facts are true, it would appear Schofield has been leading a different life on and off the screen for a long time.
The presenter was hailed a hero for coming out as gay a few years ago. But now, it seems, he may have been forced to out himself after the press got wind of his relationship with a much younger male runner on This Morning.
It’s led to all sorts of questions – on the power imbalance of such a relationship and whether there’s been a cover up.
But there are also allegations of bullying, not least from former co-star Eammon Homes, who gave an explosive interview to GB News on Monday night.
I never witnessed any bullying during my time on This Morning.
That was then, with a different set of bosses. Perhaps there really was little or none.
And like most people, I’m watching this from afar now. Here, in my house in the hills near Dundee, it all seems like a different life.
But last night I watched that interview with Eamonn Holmes, conducted by Dan Wootton, and I realised I do have to say something.
Because I know Eamonn and I know he’s the very best of people.
Eamonn Holmes was axed while Phillip Schofield flourished
I appeared as the regular showbiz expert on his Sky News show in my twenties and early thirties and was given a masterclass in how to broadcast.
But his ethos towards others has also been a masterclass. Eamonn Holmes has achieved that rare thing of managing to be a decent, grounded person, no matter how big his star became.
Until his interview, I hadn’t given much thought to how he’d been treated at This Morning.
He and his wife Ruth Langsford were effectively binned without warning from Friday hosting duties.
That’s in spite of them being brilliant on the sofa, full of empathy and professionalism.
And this was borne out by ratings, which were high when they presented.
Now Eamonn says the only thing that mattered was keeping Phillip Schofield and his co-star Holly Willoughby happy.
Eamonn Holmes’ advice made me a better broadcaster
I wasn’t there. I don’t know what was said. But I do I know Eamonn to be a man of integrity and kindness.
He gave me- and lots of other young journalists and presenters – lots of advice and support with no agenda, only the desire to give something back.
Lots of famous presenters will tell you to call them any time you need help. Eamonn means it.
Once, I called to ask if he’d be a last minute guest on a music show I co-presented for BBC Radio Scotland. He was on his way to host a Manchester United gig but said ‘no problem’ and chatted from his car.
When I had a book published, he tweeted about it to his hundreds of thousands of followers and asked his wife to do the same.
I know they have done much more for many more and asked for nothing in return.
In the cross fire of the Phillip Schofield saga, it’s hard to know what to believe.
The only thing I know for sure is that I believe Eamonn Holmes. I say that from first-hand experience and journalistic instinct garnered over decades. Many in the media agree.
Toxic workplaces are everywhere
Eamonn’s revelations of bullying and cover ups were explosive.
But his interview has a message that will spread much wider than the bubble of TV.
'Thursday was playtime, when he and Phillip would hit the town.'
'He never once talked to us about any relationship but we knew he was in a bad way.'@EamonnHolmes discusses the ‘younger male colleague at This Morning’ that Phillip Schofield had an affair with. pic.twitter.com/oCJ9fDHAjh
— GB News (@GBNEWS) May 29, 2023
It’s the message that we shouldn’t be afraid to speak up about a toxic culture in any workplace.
The more experience I gain, the more I question advice like ‘keep your head down.’
Why should we? Bullies should be called out and bullying behaviour shouldn’t be tolerated.
Sadly, in workplaces of toxicity, it’s often the ‘yes people’ who are favoured and the ones who voice disquiet who find themselves managed out, or passed over for promotion.
But karma is a wonderful thing, and sometimes the Eamonns of the world get to have their moment.
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