Actress and producer Debbie Arnold says she thinks the Schofield scandal could damage Holly Willoughby’s career.

She told GB News: “It’s quite astonishing. But what is even worse is the fact that ITV knew about this for so long and they just sat on it.

“It’s made the viewers look silly. It’s like a story from someone in your family because they all loved him: Everybody loved him and believed in him. And he lied to everyone. It’s like a love affair that’s over.”

Speaking to Mark Dolan, Arnold said she thought the scandal “hasn’t done Holly (Willoughby) any favours.”

“Everybody always, always knew what was going on. When he came out, they must have known then. What was it (ITV) doing? What were they trying to achieve?

“She knew about it; that’s why she was so upset. But I wonder what happened to make this happen just now was it to do with his brother? Why is this suddenly coming out
now? Something has happened.”

Ms Arnold described the week of shows in the run up to Schofield’s announcement as “an insult to everybody’s intelligence.”

“None could come out with it and say, ‘This is what happened’.

“It was just a huge lie. And I’m very, very sad that they’ve done that because it means that we can’t trust them anymore. You know, something like This Morning is part of a family that people watch for years and years. And it feels like you’re part of your family.

“It means that you’ve been lied to. I don’t know how they’re going to get themselves out of it.”

“I fear for Holly actually, and I know she’s been his friend and it must be devastating for her. But I think This Morning’s brand is tainted.”

Speaking about her personal experience of Philip Schofield, Ms Arnold said the presenter had “always been very charming to me.”

“I’ve been interviewed by him a couple of times on this morning so I personally don’t have any beef against him, but what I do have the beef of is that ITV knew about this and they protected him, and especially at this time, with the ‘Me too’ movement and everything else that’s going on, people are coming out about things, they should not have done that.”