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ITV has instructed a solicitor to carry out a review of the facts surrounding Philip Scofield’s relationship with a younger colleague following his exit from the UK This morning.

As ITV tries to get a handle on a scandal that has dominated the front pages of UK newspapers for more than a week, staff were told about the review on Wednesday by head of personnel David Osborne.

In an email, seen by Deadline, Osborne said ITV wanted to “establish the facts” and look at where it could improve its operations. He said the work would be carried out “as soon as possible”.

Separately, ITV chief executive Caroline McCall wrote to ministers to say that barrister Jane Mulcahy KC would “review our records and speak to the people involved”.

ITV ordered a review after Schofield admitted to having an affair with a young member of the This morning After years of hiding and lying about their experience.

ITV investigated rumors about the relationship in 2020, but Schofield – one of the UK’s most popular TV presenters – has categorically and repeatedly denied the allegations.

It was only after his friendship with co-presenter Holly Willoughby fell apart and he left This morning Earlier this month he admitted the relationship in an unusual way Daily Mail.

Scofield said he showed “very poor judgment” about the consensual relationship to hostility, which he described as “unwise, but not illegal”.

Sources told ITV to Deadline that the relationship was a secret at ITV and questioned why the presenter couldn’t get to the bottom of the issue in 2020.

Scofield met his partner once when he was 15, but ITV’s Osborne explained in an email today that the youngster was about 20 when he first worked at This morning. The individual has been promoted to free womananother daytime show on ITV, in 2019 and he left the company two years later.

In her letter to Culture Secretary Lucy Fraser and Ofcom chief executive Melanie Dawes, McCall said: “The relationships we have with those we work with are built on trust. Philip has made assurances to us and his agency which he now admits are incorrect and we are extremely disappointed.”

She added: “We have instructed Jane Mulcahy KC (Blackstone Chambers) to conduct an external fact-finding review. She will review our records and speak to the relevant people. This work will also consider our relevant processes and policies and whether we need to change or strengthen any of them.”