Ex-This Morning doctor Ranj Singh says culture on
show became ‘toxic’
Doctor also says he was ‘managed out’ of the show
after raising concerns over how people were being treated
Christy
Cooney
Sun 28 May
2023 21.08 BST
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.
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