The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- Sarah Marshal
A “large number” of ITV’s This Morning employees past and present have raised claims of “toxic working cultures”, bullying, discrimination and harassment to parliament.
The damning allegations were revealed by a cross-party group of senior MPs scrutinising the under-fire programme following former host Phillip Schofield’s high-profile exit from the show.
In correspondence published on Wednesday, Tory chair of the committee Caroline Dinenage told ITV boss Dame Carolyn they had been inundated with complaints from current or former staff from on This Morning and “the wider ITV daytime team”.
The senior Tory said: “These individuals speak with great pride about working at ITV and are hugely positive about many of their colleagues. However, they also raise claims of toxic working cultures, bullying, discrimination and harassment.”
Ms Dinenage also said some ITV staff members claimed to have been “further bullied” after raising their concerns with the channel.
“Some of those individuals who have contacted us have described how their decision to raise concerns within ITV has led to further bullying and discrimination, and in some cases having to leave the organisation with a settlement agreement,” said the committee chief.
In damning remarks, Ms Dinenage said it is now “easy to understand” why the individuals left ITV and “do not wish to relive their traumatic experiences”, as well as believing ITV will not take them seriously.
In June, ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall, managing director Kevin Lygo and general counsel Kyla Mullins were grilled by MPs on the culture, media and sport select committee.
