This Morning hosts 'threaten to quit' after Phillip Schofield's affair with younger male ITV colleague was revealed

This Morning hosts have reportedly threatened to quit after Phillip Schofield’s affair with a younger, male ITV colleague emerged.

On Friday, the presenter, 61, quit ITV with immediate effect after admitted to cheating on wife Stephanie with the man, while he admitted deceiving his ITV employees and colleagues about his affair.

It is now said that This Morning could face the chop as senior bosses, such as chief e­xecutive Carolyn McCall’s job could be under threat, as the programme comes under pressure to reveal what they knew about Phil’s affair with the young runner.

Some of the show hosts have even threatened to quit amid the toxic fallout – with one household name already drafted a resignation statement in the wake of Schofield’s admission.

A source told The Sun: ‘The future of the show is hanging by a thread and the presenting talent are unsure of their next move – they’re deciding whether to leap from a sinking ship.

Uh-oh: This Morning hosts have reportedly threatened to quit after Phillip Schofield’s affair with a younger, male ITV colleague emerged

‘The whole This Morning senior team is in complete damage-limitation mode worrying about the presenters who might walk away.

‘Phillip no doubt thinks he has tried to do the right thing but the overwhelming feeling on set is that procedures need to be put in place to ensure the same mistakes never happen again.

‘Some presenters feel the saga has left too much toxicity around the show, it can’t survive and they’re considering their future’

It is feared other regulars on the show – in addition to presenters such as Alison Hammond, Holly Willoughby and Rochelle Humes – could also quit.

An ITV Spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘As we said on the record earlier today, This Morning is not under review and there’s no plans for the show to be axed. This Morning will return on Monday.’

Earlier in the day, they also said: ‘Further to our statement last night, ITV can confirm that when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate in early 2020 ITV investigated.

‘Both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip’s then agency YMU.

‘In addition, ITV spoke to a number of people who worked on This Morning and were not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour.

‘Phillip’s statement yesterday reveals that he lied to people at ITV, from senior management to fellow presenters, to YMU, to the media and to others over this relationship.’

They went on to add: ‘This Morning is not under review and the show will be back on Monday.’

On Friday, Phillip admitted to an affair with a younger male colleague, which he claimed was ‘unwise but not illegal’, in a lengthy statement, in which he also apologised to his wife and family .

Brutal: Some of the show hosts have even threatened to quit amid the toxic fallout – with one household name already drafted a resignation statement in the wake of Schofield’s admission

Meanwhile, a source told The Sun: ‘The future of the show is hanging by a thread and the presenting talent are unsure of their next move’

The ‘unwise’ relationship took place during his nearly 30-year marriage to his wife Stephanie, 59, and Phillip said he was ‘so very sorry’ for being unfaithful.

Stephanie, who shares two kids Ruby, 27, and Molly, 29, with Phillip, issued a statement when her husband came out as gay in a moving This Morning segment in 2020.

Phillip stepped down from his This Morning hosting duties last weekend after more than 20 years on the airwaves before confirming the affair in a statement to the Daily Mail on Friday.

He has also resigned from ITV and will not host the British Soap Awards. He has also been dropped by his agents at YMU ‘with immediate effect’.

In a statement, the former ITV presenter said: ‘I am making this statement via the Daily Mail, to whom I have already apologised personally for misleading, through my lawyer who I also misled, about a story [sic] which they wanted to write about me a few days ago.

‘The first thing I want to say is: I am deeply sorry for having lied to them, and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on This Morning.

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

‘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 a just a friendship.

‘That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over…

‘I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife…

‘I am resigning from ITV with immediate effect, expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me.

‘I will reflect on my very bad judgement in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it.’

After his statement, an ITV spokesman said: ‘We are deeply disappointed by the admissions of deceit made tonight by Phillip Schofield.

‘The relationships we have with those we work with are based on trust. Philip made assurances to us which he now acknowledges were untrue and we feel badly let down.

Admission: Phillip confessed to having an ‘unwise but not illegal’ romance with a man during his marriage to Stephanie Lowe, and previously denied the affair when asked by his agent

Bookmakers Coral put The Masked Singer UK host Joel, 37, at 1/2 odds to host the Soap Awards, followed closely by This Morning’s Dermot, 50, at 5/2.

Other presenters in the running are the likes of Bradley Walsh, Alison Hammond and Vernon Kay, according to Coral.

Coral’s John Hill said: ‘Joel Dommett tops our betting to replace Philip Schofield as the host of the 2023 British Soap Awards. ITV are likely to see him as the perfect fit as he is now one of the channel’s most popular presenters.

‘Dermot O’Leary and Vernon Kay are both names which have been well backed, while Mo Giligan could be in the mix following his experience at the Brit Awards.’