Phillip Schofield resigned from ITV in May 2023 after admitting an "unwise but not illegal" affair with a much younger male colleague, triggering a toxic-culture reckoning at This Morning that reshaped British daytime television.

The 61-year-old, who had been the face of ITV's flagship daytime programme for more than 20 years alongside Holly Willoughby, stepped down with immediate effect on May 20. Six days later he admitted the affair in a statement, apologised for lying about the relationship, and was dropped by his talent agency YMU.

"I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning," 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."

The timeline had been building for weeks. Schofield presented what turned out to be his last show on May 18. Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond took over hosting, while Willoughby, his co-host of 14 years, released a statement saying the sofa "won't feel the same without him". The pair had already been under fire over "queue-gate" — claims they skipped the queue for the late Queen's lying in state while attending as members of the media, which both denied.

The scandal created a state of disarray at the broadcaster. Former This Morning resident doctor Dr Ranj Singh called the show "toxic", saying he had raised concerns about "bullying and discrimination" and felt he had been "managed out" for whistleblowing. ITV boss Dame Carolyn McCall instructed a barrister to conduct an external review, which found in December that the broadcaster was "unable to uncover the relevant evidence" proving the alleged affair between Schofield and the runner had taken place. Eamonn Holmes alleged a "total cover-up" at ITV, while Dame Carolyn was called to give evidence to a parliamentary committee.

Schofield was also axed as an ambassador for the Prince's Trust as the charity said it was "no longer appropriate" to work with him. Willoughby clung on for a few more months but resigned that October after it emerged she had been the intended victim of a kidnap and murder plot.

Schofield stayed mainly out of the public eye before returning to television with a Channel 5 series. Years on, the episode remains the defining scandal of modern ITV daytime: a presenter who had come out as gay in an emotional on-air moment in 2020, and who seemed untouchable, brought down within a week by a confession he had spent years denying.