This Morning’s main sponsor Arnold Clark ‘will not be renewing’ its multi-million pound sponsorship deal with ITV when it ends in autumn
- The car dealer said it would not be renewing its existing multi-million pound deal
This Morning’s biggest sponsor has said it will not be renewing its contract with the ITV programme.
It comes as the broadcaster’s crisis deepens as the fallout from Phillip Schofield’s affair with a much younger colleague continues for another week.
Car dealer Arnold Clark, which is the programme’s biggest sponsor, announced today that it would not be renewing their existing multi-million-pound deal with the broadcaster in Autumn as planned.
Insiders, however, said that ‘brands do not feel ITV is a safe bet at the moment’ with staff at This Morning staff becoming fearful over their job security.
Since Schofield dramatically left the programme last week, photos of the long-time host have been removed from ITV studios in White City.
It comes amid increasing calls for an independent inquiry into what ITV bosses knew and when they knew about Schofield’s relationship. Whilst ITV insists an investigation took place at the time, the Mail revealed tonight that Schofield’s former lover had not been quizzed.
This Morning’s biggest sponsor, car dealer Arnold Clark, will not be renewing its deal with the programme this autumn, it has said. It comes amid the fallout surrounding Phillip Schofield’s affair with a younger colleague
It comes amid increasing calls for an independent inquiry into whether ITV bosses what they knew and when they knew about Schofield’s relationship
A source told The Sun: ‘There is a lot of speculation about This Morning’s future and some staff are concerned about their jobs.
‘Phil’s admission of deceit has plunged ITV into a crisis which it has never been faced with before. It is widely known internally that they have lost over £2million in sponsorship deals since Phil’s affair became public.
‘Arnold Clark, who are the main sponsors of This Morning, are also reconsidering their position.
‘Brands do not feel ITV is a safe bet at the moment. ITV are doing all they can to claw back control — but it will not be an easy task.’
In a statement the car dealer said: ‘Our existing sponsorship of This Morning will end this Autumn as planned.’
The newspaper reported that guests had been dropping out of appearing on the programme.
All photos of Schofield are said to have been stripped out of the ITV studios following the star’s statement on Friday where he confessed that he lied to his employer ITV, to his colleagues, his friends and his agents at the management firm YMU about his relationship with the younger man.
Earlier today former This Morning star Dr Ranj slammed the ‘toxic’ culture at the ITV daytime show as the scandal at the programme continues into its third week.
The TV doctor, who left the show last year, claimed he was ‘managed out’ after taking his concerns to ‘the top’ of ITV, raising even more questions for bosses about whether they knew and when.
All photos of Schofield are said to have been stripped out of the ITV studios following the star’s statement on Friday where he confessed that he lied to his employer ITV, to his colleagues, his friends and his agents at the management firm YMU about his relationship with the younger man
Dr Ranj – who is now the resident doctor on the BBC’s Morning Live – said he thought ‘long and hard’ before weighing in on the scandal currently engulfing ITV but decided to speak out ‘in light of recent events’.
And tonight, sources told the Mail that the former production assistant insists ‘he was never asked’ about the romance with the former TV host, while another ITV insider said: ‘Everybody just knew about it’.
An ITV Spokesperson regarding Dr Ranj post: ‘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.’
ITV has been contacted for a statement regarding their sponsorship deals.
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