Most of us had probably given This Morning little thought before.
After all, it’s on when we are working.
But it has been hard to escape during the past few weeks.
Presenter Phillip Schofield’s admission he had lied to bosses about an “unwise, but not illegal” relationship with a younger colleague moved the story from tabloid gossip to widespread coverage.
Don't have time to read this blog? You can listen to it here:
Since then, his co-presenter Holly Willoughby has said it was “very hurtful” he “lied” about the relationship.
Former presenter Eamon Holmes has accused ITV of a “total cover-up”.
And the show’s former doctor Ranj Singh has claimed a “toxic culture” existed on the daytime programme.
He added: "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."
Emily Maddick, the programme’s former head of news, has written about a “culture of intimidation” that prevented her from being able to do the role.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, some advertisers have been spooked. Car dealership Arnold Clark has confirmed it will not be renewing its sponsorship. And WeBuyAnyCar has dropped adverts featuring Schofield from its YouTube adverts.
And ITV bosses are even set to be probed by MPs about the crisis today – although you might question whether our politicians have more pressing issues to debate.
In summary, it has all the crucial ingredients of a crisis media management incident.
So, is there anything we can learn from it?
What makes a story?
One of the fascinating things about this crisis is why it has gained so much coverage.
Should a daytime TV show dominate the front pages for days on end and generate rolling coverage?
I’ve had several messages from friends asking why it is a story. Or, as one friend put it: “Any idea why journalists think we’re obsessed with a daytime TV presenter and if his colleagues like him?”
There is an argument that with the Government taking its own covid inquiry to court, the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and the war in Ukraine, there is plenty else going on.
But the Schofield / This Morning saga includes many elements of TRUTH – the acronym we use during our media training and crisis communication courses to help delegates understand what makes something newsworthy.
Topical: Schofield, Willoughby and This Morning have been in the spotlight for some time. They had not recovered from the claims they jumped the queue to pay their respects to the Queen last September. Additionally, workplace culture has become an increasingly hot topic, particularly post-pandemic.
Relevant: Schofield is a household name. People grew up watching him present children’s programmes, and he has hosted many other high-profile TV shows. This Morning is a long-running programme, having first aired in 1988.
Unusual: The story takes us behind the scenes of the secretive world of TV. It takes us behind the on-screen smiles to a world of feuds and apparent axes to grind.
Trouble: The story is laced with trouble. There are the allegations surrounding Schofield and the claims of a ‘toxic culture’ at the programme. There is the disintegration of the relationship between Schofield and Willoughby, a duo that worked together for 13 years. And celebrities lining up to share their unflattering views about the host and the programme.
Human: People love stories about other people. And this is a story with a strong human element. It may sound grim but falls from grace have always fascinated and grabbed attention.
Narrative
This is a story that has rumbled on and on.
Reports of a rift between Schofield and Willoughby were first reported in early May.
And the coverage has continued almost unabated since, with little control from ITV.
Instead, ‘insiders’ and those with scores to settle are leading the coverage and giving it fresh, unhelpful impetus.
During our crisis communication training, we stress the importance of organisations being the source of information and updates.
If they don’t provide timely information, the media will go elsewhere.
And there has been no shortage of people willing to give their thoughts and insights, placing the channel increasingly on the back foot, reacting to the latest twists and accusations rather than controlling the narrative.
Facts
Another reason the story has rumbled on is there appears to have been a continual drip feed of facts.
When Schofield initially stood down, it was because This Morning had “become the story”.
The affair with a younger colleague was admitted six days later, together with an apology for misleading the Daily Mail.
It may feel painful, but during a crisis, it is better to deliver all the facts, rather than hoping some can be covered up.
Honesty is crucial in crisis management. Perceived cover-ups make crises worse.
External review
It may have come a little late, but ITV announcing last week it was instigating an external review “to establish the facts” was a good crisis communication move.
Headed by Jane Mulcahy KC, it helps show the channel is taking action – crucial in crisis media management – and is taking the situation seriously.
It is also a helpful line for spokespeople to use when responding to difficult journalist questions.
When This Morning Editor Martin Frizell faced a doorstep interview on Saturday and was asked if he should have been more “curious” about Schofield’s relationship with his younger colleague, he said: “There are lots of questions to answer but there is a KC appointed for an external review and anything we say now may be prejudicial.”
Those interviews
We spoke earlier about trying to control the narrative.
After previously relying on statements, Schofield gave interviews last week to The Sun and BBC to take some control over the story.
Speaking to Amol Rajan, Schofield looked stressed and dishevelled, and you would question whether he was in the right frame of mind for such an interview.
Clutching a vape throughout was a weird distraction. And the lack of eye contact was not a good look.
Phillip Schofield using a disposable vape literally during a BBC News interview feels like its own separate watershed moment pic.twitter.com/TpJRdLwv1j
— Nick Walker (@nickw84) June 1, 2023
He admitted he “did something very wrong” and apologised to his former lover.
But some of the answers, such as “I’ve lost everything”, could be seen as appearing to present him as the victim.
Crisis spokespeople need to be calm and composed. Had he spoken earlier, perhaps when in a better frame of mind, he may have delivered a better performance and exerted more control over the story.
Aubergine?
As is often the case during a crisis, senior ITV figures have found journalists on their doorstep.
No one likes doorstep interviews, and they can be tricky to handle.
We highlighted earlier how the This Morning editor handled one reasonably well on Saturday. Unfortunately, he produced an example of how not to do it yesterday (5/6).
Asked by Sky News about allegations of a “toxic” work culture, he replied: “I’ll tell you what’s toxic, and I’ve always found it toxic. Aubergine. Do you like aubergine?”
When the question was asked again, he continued with the food theme saying: “But do you like aubergine? ‘Cause I don’t like aubergine. It’s just a personal thing.”
"I'll tell you what's toxic and I've always found it toxic. Aubergine. Do you like aubergine?"
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 5, 2023
Martin Frizell, editor of ITV's This Morning's response when asked if a 'toxic work environment' exists at This Morning. https://t.co/t6NccigFyY
📺 Sky 501 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/kF3zhGpoqj
Is that the response of a leader taking the allegations seriously?
John Nicolson MP, a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, didn’t think so. He tweeted: “This is a deeply inappropriate and disrespectful way to respond to questions about safeguarding vulnerable staff and bullying in the workplace at ITV.”
Bad reputation
One of the issues for Schofield, Willoughby and This Morning is they were already well acquainted with controversy before this latest crisis.
It was not that long ago their reputations took a hit after they were accused of jumping the queue of people lined up to pay their respects to the Queen when her body lay in Westminster Hall.
The presenters found themselves facing furious headlines, petitions calling for them to be fired and at the centre of countless social media jokes.
Domino's Pizza's 'savage' dig at Holly and Phil amid a row over "queue jumping"https://t.co/bX1vlaCm7W pic.twitter.com/WTAtPR9Fm7
— Liverpool Echo (@LivEchonews) September 21, 2022
The duo said they were working. But ‘queuegate’ was a bad look, and trust had not been restored in either the presenters or the programme.
And it meant the element of ‘trouble’ that can make something newsworthy was lurking in the background before the latest scandal broke.
When organisations have been in crisis media management mode, the focus eventually needs to shift to rebuilding trust.
This is often an overlooked part of crisis communication. But it is something we explored during a masterclass for members of The Media Team Academy – our learning and development programme for comms professionals. You can read more about that session in this blog.
Schofield has said his TV career is over.
But can This Morning emerge from the crisis?
Willoughby spoke of a “new chapter” when she opened the programme on Monday.
Viewing figures and advertisers will ultimately determine its fate.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with more than 35 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.
Click here to find out more about our media training and crisis communication training.
