Phillip Schofield latest as ITV confirms age and role of 'younger' colleague amid This Morning affair

ITV will carry out an external review of Phillip Schofield's exit from This Morning, as the channel issued a new statement on the latest developments.

Chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall has sent a letter, seen by the PA news agency, to culture secretary Lucy Frazer, DCMS Committee chair Dame Caroline Dinenage and Ofcom’s chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes, in the wake of Schofield’s departure from ITV last week.

Schofield, 61, resigned from the broadcaster on Friday and was dropped by his talent agency YMU after admitting to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague. In the leter, Dame Carolyn says the man was employed as a runner at 20 years old.

The letter goes on to state out facts, following what Dame Carolyn says has been “a lot of inaccuracy” in reporting and she added the former employee Schofield admitted to an affair with has been offered support throughout.

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It said: “The ITV employee was aged 19 when he first did work experience at This Morning in 2015 and 20 years old when he applied and succeeded in securing a job as a runner on the show.

“He subsequently applied for and was successful in securing a promotion to Loose Women in 2019. He left ITV in 2021. As you would imagine given the social media scrutiny of him, we have offered him our support throughout this period and indeed are still doing so.

“The employee has made it clear that he does not wish to be named or identified in connection with this matter. We would be grateful if you would be mindful of this.”

The letter also mentions the “significant media coverage concerning Phillip Schofield” and adds that: “As you would expect we take the matter extremely