Dr Ranj Singh says ‘This Morning’ has a “toxic culture”.
Dr Ranj Singh says This Morning has a toxic culture amid the Philip Schofield scandal
The 43-year-old medical professional “genuinely loved” being on the ITV1 morning show but has issued a statement about his time working on it amid the scandal surrounding Philip Schofield - who recently admitted to having an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a runner who he met as a teenager at a stage school - who recently departed the morning show he co-hosted with Holly Willoughby.
The television personality said on Twitter: "I was on the show for 10 years and I genuinely loved and valued working there.
"However, over time I grew increasingly worried about things behind the scenes and how people, including myself, were being treated.
Dr Ranj claimed that he “didn’t know the truth” about the 61-year-old presenter but admitted understanding the problems not stop with him.
He said: "I didn't know the truth about what was going on with Phillip, but I do know the issues with ‘This Morning’ go far beyond him. It takes more than one person to create a culture."
Dr Ranj added that he "did what I thought was right" and sent in a compliant about the programme’s editor, Martin Frizzel’s conduct and felt a special responsibility to so because of his job role, writing "especially given that my job is to look after people's wellbeing and I had been heavily involved in diversity, anti-bullying and mental health projects across the channel".
"I then found myself being used less and less.”
The television personality explained his rationale why he felt he was being “managed out” and knows his experience is not just hs.
Ranj 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.
"But as history and experience have taught us, things like bullying and discrimination are very hard to prove, particularly in hindsight and when the 'people in power' control the narrative. As we've seen, no review or investigation is foolproof.
"I haven't worked on the show since... and I'm not the only one who has spoken up or experienced similar.
"That was two years ago and, frankly, it still hurts. The whole process was pretty heart-breaking and even affected my mental health. But I'm happy to say I've found my feet again, know my worth and have found my tribe.
"There are some good people in TV, but we need to be brave and stand up to those who aren't. Even if it's scary as hell, we have to do the right thing otherwise nothing will change. I sincerely hope something good comes from all this."
Dr Ranj also wrote “there is so much more” he could reveal.
An ITV spokesperson said in response: "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 advisor to carry out a review. This external review found no evidence of bullying or discrimination."
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