Eamonn Holmes has claimed there was a “total cover-up” over Phillip Schofield’s affair with a younger male colleague on This Morning while he was married.

Holmes, 63, who also presented on the show, has accused Schofield of “toxicity” amid the furore over the culture on the ITV daytime programme.

Host Schofield, 61, admitted last Friday to an “unwise, but not illegal” affair with a young male colleague on the show and has now quit the commercial broadcaster and been dropped by his talent agency YMU.

Schofield today hit back at critics, saying on Instagram that there was “no toxicity” on the programme, adding: “I hope you have noticed that it’s the same handful of people with a grudge against me or the show who seem to have the loudest voice.”

ITV said there had been an investigation in early 2020 when “rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate” but said it did not find “any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour”.

A statement from the commercial broadcaster on 27 May said: “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… He lied to people at ITV, from senior management to fellow presenters, to YMU, to the media and to others over this relationship.”

But Holmes told GB News presenter Dan Wootton: “It’s a total cover-up.

“Those in authority had to know what was going on and they thought they would dodge a bullet with this.

“Which they do and they do constantly because with Schofield talking about those who speak out against him, namely me, Amanda Holden and you [Dan Wootton], you’ll be included in the toxicity that goes on… Dr Ranj [Singh] as well.

“And you simply sit there and think ‘no mate, you’ve had it all your way for too long’.”

Referring to Schofield’s latest comments, Holmes said: “I think that Phillip is absolutely right about toxicity.

“But my friend, the toxicity is not with me, Dan Wootton, or anyone else, the toxicity is with you.”

Holmes previously presented This Morning on Fridays with wife Ruth Langsford.

The ITV show’s former resident doctor Dr Ranj Singh earlier hit out at the show’s “toxic” culture, saying he raised concerns about “bullying and discrimination” two years ago when he worked there and afterwards felt like he was “managed out” for whistleblowing.