Phillip Schofield's lover 'given pay-off by TV bosses' after leaving ITV

ITV is being accused of giving the unnamed man, who first met Schofield aged 15, a payment at the end of the pair’s one-off relationship.

The payment was allegedly made when Schofield’s former lover switched from This Morning to another daytime show on ITV.

The man switched to Loose Women in 2021 following a stint with This Morning.

A source told The Telegraph that a “redundancy package” was paid after the move but stressed this was not “special” or “unique”.

The insider instead suggested that the move was in line with usual practices for ITV employees.

But ITV bosses must have been aware of any payment and a senior figure would have signed it off, a separate source told The Daily Mail.

They said: “There have been numerous pay-offs at ITV and they have always had to be arranged and sanctioned by people of some seniority.”

ITV’s top brass is set to get grilled by MPs at the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee next week.

The committee, which is composed of 11 MPs, is determined to get answers on the matter.

The SNP's Shadow Culture Secretary John Nicolson, a committee member, tweeted about the "cause for concern" at ITV.

"The issues erupting around ITV have been a cause for concern," he wrote.

"I look forward to getting some answers from ITV bosses."

Work & Pensions Secretary Mel Stride also claimed there are “certainly questions to examine”.

ITV said it had investigated questions about Schofield’s affair in early 2020.

Schofield, who previously denied having an affair, revealed his relationship with a younger member of the production team in a statement.

He said: “Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship.

“That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over.”

A statement from the broadcaster on May 27 said: “ITV can confirm that when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate in early 2020 ITV investigated.

“Both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip’s then agency YMU.

“In addition, ITV spoke to a number of people who worked on This Morning and were not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour.”

GB News has approached ITV for a further comment.