ITV Programs Boss Urges People Not To Rush To “Hasty Judgement” Before Phillip Schofield Review Is Published – Edinburgh TV Festival

deadline.com:

ITV programs boss Kevin Lygo has urged no “hasty judgement” before the independent report into Phillip Schofield is published, citing “enormous pressure from press and social media.” The independent probe into the disgraced This Morning host will likely be published next month, the exec confirmed today at the Edinburgh TV Festival.

The commercial broadcaster drafted in Jane Mulcahy KC to examine the facts around Schofield’s relationship with a much younger runner in late May.

Lygo said Mulcahy has been “talking to everyone involved, taking our phones and looking at every text we’ve sent, including emails and WhatsApps,” as he joked: “I’m sure nothing relevant to this inquiry will be revealed [by my WhatsApps].” Lygo confirmed the report will most likely be published at the end of next month and urged calm until then. “The most important thing is to get facts and truth, not a hasty judgement,” he added. “There is an enormous pressure these days from the press and social media saying ‘you’ve got to decide’ and ‘why didn’t you fire him?,’ and you just think ‘well hang on a minute we don’t know what the truth is yet.’.” Lygo said the network will “act accordingly” once Mulcahy has revealed the outcome.

Schofield resigned in disgrace in May after admitting the affair, which had gone on for several years. ITV CEO Carolyn McCall has previously claimed “no evidence” was provided about their affair but, speaking today at Edinburgh, Avalon boss Jon Thoday said he was “surprised” that the network’s head honchos weren’t aware.