Holly Willoughby will be returning to the This Morning sofa without Phillip Schofield (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Phillip Schofield first stepping down from This Morning before resigning from ITV amid his bombshell confession has thrown the broadcaster into crisis.

The likes of Eamonn Holmes haven’t held back from commenting on the ‘atmosphere’ at This Morning, with regular guest Dr Ranj Singh blasting it as ‘toxic’.

After Schofield announced his departure, it was confirmed Holly Willoughby would continue presenting alongside the likes of Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, who have stepped in as she takes an early half-term break.

But, despite ITV yet speaking out on the matter, rumours are swirling surrounding the future of This Morning, with former guests calling out the programme while a woman who helped launch the programme insisted it’s time for it to end.

Since Schofield confessed on Friday that he had an ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a young male show runner on This Morning while still with his wife Stephanie Lowe, with ITV later insisting ‘no evidence was found’ during an investigation, the reputation of the broadcaster has been thrown into disarray.

But what could the future of This Morning actually look like? From being cancelled entirely to a ‘summer roadshow’, industry experts told Metro.co.uk what could potentially happen to the ITV daytime programme.

Phillip Schofield resigned from ITV after his bombshell confession (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

This Morning needs ‘an immediate makeover’ or could ‘take a break’ as ITV warned to ‘tread carefully’

Josh Wheeler, founder of broadcast specialist PR agency Be Broadcast, claims ITV needs a ‘makeover’ with Willoughby’s return, with suggestions like a ‘summer roadshow’.

He shared: ‘This Morning is a TV giant, but remember, no giant is too big to tumble. If Holly is coming back, the show needs an immediate makeover.

‘Anyone who joins her will be stuck in the shadow of her old partner, facing unfair comparisons and unnecessary stress.

‘What about a summer roadshow? This Morning hitting the road, popping up in different locations each day to really connect with the people. Or, maybe Holly can fly solo?’

Josh added: ‘Taking a break isn’t off the table either. This Morning has popular presenters like Alison Hammond, who the public loves, but ITV needs to tread carefully.

‘Pushing presenters into tough spots might buy short-term gains, but it’ll hurt in the long run.’

Holly Willoughby is on a This Morning break (Picture: ITV)

ITV needs to ‘invest in support lines’ and ‘humanize responses’

Wheeler elsewhere told Metro.co.uk that broadcaster ITV needs to remember ‘the real human impacts’, and consider ‘investing in support lines’.

He said: ‘Since the dawn of this crisis, we’ve insisted that public sentiment must be the guiding light in our course of action. Disappointingly, a lumbering, hesitant response has now left ITV playing catch up in a situation that desperately requires proactivity, rather than reactivity.

‘To audiences this looks like seeming indifference and probably does little to soothe the wounds of affected staff, talent, or the public’s simmering distrust.

‘ITV’s lack of front-footedness could start to seem increasingly disingenuous, particularly as the public discourse around this issue has reached fever pitch.

‘There’s a critical need to humanize responses and convey authenticity – vague comments from an anonymous ‘spokesperson’ will not suffice. Who’s in charge? Who’s bearing the mantle of this crisis? Who can the people who watch any of the ITV shows look to for reassurance on this?

‘The need for a cohesive, tireless partnership between legal and communications is key. Every tick of the clock amplifies the urgency of their mandate.

‘The current communication strategy only fans the flames of uncertainty. It’s time for the full truth to break free, alongside clear, decisive action from ITV.

‘Talking about how hurt and disappointed the brand feels by deceit in an investigation only serves to spotlight potential lapses in oversight.

‘And with talent calling out management directly on this – lapses in oversight are not what you need.

‘Let’s not forget, this crisis has real human impacts. It’s a headline, yes, but also a source of immense pain for those affected – both directly and in their own experiences. I would make significant investment in support lines and place adverts emphasising how to access help.’

This Morning rumours have been swirling (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

‘Format tweaks won’t be enough’ to stop ITV going ‘the way of the dinosaurs’

Speaking on the future of ITV, Edward Coram James, PR & Crisis Management expert, CEO of Go Up, said: ‘The issues underpinning the storm-in-a-tea cup crisis, namely the inevitable slow demise of the morning tv format, as well as daytime and evening tv presenters in general, as the public move more-and-more into the streaming fold, will not go away.

‘ITV can try to patch things up by removing Schofield and perhaps tweaking the format. But this will not be enough. And ITV’s handling of the situation shows, in my opinion, that they as a network will ultimately go the way of the dinosaurs.

‘They simply do not have the answers to the questions that are being thrown at them.’

He continued: ‘Over the next few years, the show’s numbers would have declined even before the latest announcement from the previously-loved figure such as Schofield. Despite his brothers’ sentencing, ITV were likely to freefall without him.

‘Even as the public became aware, and slightly frustrated by his humanity, he was still the steady hand at the till, and over the next five years his role would have been to give a precision capsizing to the sinking ship, allowing all the crew to get safely onto the lifeboats before the bow finally went underwater. 

‘However, since the latest statement from Schofield, confessing to a previously denied affair with a younger former ITV colleague, the presenter has now capsized the ship at his own accord, taking those around him with him.

‘Not only did Schofield allegedly lie about this affair to his co-presenter and those at ITV, former colleagues have also stepped forward to raise their concerns of Schofield’s “toxic behaviour”. They have also revealed that, after attempting to bring attention to the affair, it was simply brushed under the carpet.

‘In response, ITV executives have said they investigated the alleged affair but were lied to by Schofield, in an attempt to salvage their increasingly tarnished reputation.

‘It seems as if Pandora’s box has been opened at ITV, leaving all PR experts and the public wondering what other contentious headlines might emerge from the broadcasting network. Could this be the start of something no one saw on the forecast?’

James added to Metro.co.uk that ‘something truly drastic’ would be needed to bring back This Morning viewers, after Schofield’s exit.

He shared: ‘A sturdy new host will fill the step into the role many will avoid, and the network can expect a temporary, and very short lived, ratings boost, earned out of the interest gained from the huge amounts of press exposure that Schofield’s car crash departure has earned (in ratings, there is no such thing as ‘bad publicity, but in reputation, there certainly is). 

‘But, once the controversy has died down and the new presenters have settled in, it’s unlikely that they’ll get anyone with the star power/draw on their target demographic that Schofield possessed. This Morning’s ageing demographic loved him.

‘The likes of Dermot O’Leary, although a big name, appeal to a younger group, and that group has already started to make its exit from morning tv viewership in droves. Only something truly drastic will win them back or prevent further exodus.’

Schofield has insisted his affair was ‘unwise but not illegal’ (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

‘ITV bosses may think they can see a glimmer of light at the end of this dark tunnel’

Andy Barr, founder of digital marketing and PR agency 10 Yetis, thinks ITV bosses may be able to see a ‘glimmer of light’ at the end of the tunnel, despite the rumours that continue to swirl.

Barr told Metro.co.uk: ‘An hour into trading and the ITV share price has not experience the massive fall that many analyst suspected may happen.

‘Whilst the future of This Morning still hangs in the balance, the story has moved on slightly to now becoming focussed on Holmes versus Schofield.

‘This gives ITV bosses a bit of breathing space where it can announce that it will look into all of the allegations, probably through another independent investigation and make the necessary changes when the results are announced.’

He continued: ‘When the dust settles on today’s ITV share price situation, we will have a much better idea of what advertisers and institutional share holders think about the situation and if the tabloid squabble is going to spell the death of the This Morning brand.

‘Right now, ITV bosses will think they can see a glimmer of light, at the end of the dark, crisis communications tunnel.’

Eamonn Holmes has made allegations about This Morning (Picture: S Meddle/ITV/Shutterstock)

This Morning could no longer see ‘high end celebrities fronting it’

Publicist Mark Borkowski told Metro.co.uk that This Morning is a ‘very important format for ITV’, adding: ‘Every iconic TV format has the opportunity to restore.

‘I suspect in time it will look very different with perhaps high end celebrities no longer fronting the programme.’

On the future of ITV, he continued: ‘The general criticism at the moment is being driven by those with an agenda.

‘No one truly knows the facts, I believe in time ITV will start to give us an insight on what the real story is rather than the speculative nature of social media.’

This Morning should ‘give way’ after ‘tumultuous run of events’

On the other end of the spectrum, a woman who helped to launch This Morning has insisted it’s time for the show to come to an end.

Dianne Nelmes, who was among the team who set up the flagship daytime show, told BBC Radio 4’s PM: ‘I don’t think there’s any question that ITV should axe This Morning now, and certainly not because of any of these events around Phillip.

‘The basic law of factual programming is the presenter is never bigger than the show and this show will survive.

‘But I think that the tumultuous run of events around Phillip have formed a lightning rod.

‘And I think the lightning rod goes much deeper, that it’s time This Morning, in a very dignified way, just moved off and gave way to another new show.’

She added that in her opinion the show should run until July, and in September should return ‘with a completely new presenting team.’

Alison Hammond and even Piers Morgan suggested as replacements for Schofield on This Morning – but Eamonn Holmes insists Willoughby won’t return either

After Schofield announced his departure, the likes of Alison and even Piers Morgan were predicted as replacements.

Elsewhere, odds were on Rylan Clark and celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo, but former This Morning presenter Eamonn has insisted that Willoughby won’t be returning either.

In a bombshell interview on GB News, he said: ‘Not only should Phillip go, but Holly should follow him close out the door.’

The 63-year-old added: ‘I don’t think you’ll ever see Holly Willoughby back on the couch.’

He continued: ‘Financial experts will say it’s about brand protection with her. She’s got her company and she’s got advertising deals.’

Metro.co.uk has approached ITV for comment.

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1.

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Here’s what the experts have to say…