Carol McGiffin claims none of the Loose Women stars liked Phillip Schofield
Featured Image Credit: GB News/BBC
Topics: Phillip Schofield, ITV, Loose Women, This Morning
Ben Thompson
In the wake of the Phillip Schofield scandal, Carol McGiffin has claimed that 'none' of her former Loose Women colleagues liked the disgraced ITV presenter.
Schofield has now admitted to having an 'unwise' affair with a much younger employee on This Morning, although he has stressed that no grooming took place.
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Speaking to Dan Wootton on GB News, McGiffin revealed that none of her fellow panelists had anything good to say about Schofield.
McGiffin, who left Loose Women earlier this year over a pay dispute, said: "I don't know anybody who's actually ever said out loud that they really like Philip."
In her interview, the 63-year-old also claimed that a member of the Loose Women team was axed in order to give Schofield's ex-lover a job.
McGiffin said: "Everybody was really quite upset about it because everybody loved him. And he was a great runner…
"I got a text message and it was from the young man in question and he said, 'I'm the new production secretary at Loose Women', I thought, 'hang on a minute. What's happened here?'
"It was quite obvious, as Eamonn said the other night, he was a bit troubled, he was quite troubled."
According to McGiffin, other cast members on the daytime talk show attempted to comfort and support the runner who Schofield had been involved with.
McGiffin said: "There is no question he did a bad thing.
"He did, obviously, mess with this young man's life. I don't know the official definition of grooming, but it's a bit weird that he knew this guy from a very, very young age when he was at the drama school and then suddenly he's like mentoring him, nurturing him.
"He's making the showreel, getting him a job and then suddenly, oh, they're having an affair, so it certainly looks like that but whether or not you know whether or not he officially did, it is classic grooming behaviour."
Reflecting during his interview with The Sun, Schofield said of the affair: "I did not, I did not [groom him]."
Schofield claims that he met the younger man when he was 15, but it wasn't until five years later that the relationship took a sexual turn.
With regards to accusations that he moved the runner to Loose Women, Schofield denied that he abused any power in this way.
Schofield said: "I have never abused my power anywhere, I'm not a bully. You read the things you are supposed to be. I don't lord it over TV studios. Everyone is a friend.
"I've had texts from people I worked with saying 'Oh my God' I cant believe they are saying this we love working with you.'
"I snapped once at one of producers around the time I came out and after the meeting I went and apologised. It's not me I don't do that. I'm not rude on the studio floor. I don't lord it around."
Tyla have reached out to ITV for comment.