Eamonn Holmes accuses This Morning of a 'total cover up' over Phillip ... trends now

Eamonn Holmes has blasted Phillip Schofield as a 'chief narcissist', claiming that the star and his much younger lover would 'hit the town on Thursdays' for 'playtime' .

In a bombshell interview, Holmes, a former presenter on the daytime programme, also accused ITV of a 'total cover up' of Schofield's affair, claiming that 'those in authority had to know' about the secret relationship.

He said Schofield allowed his 'fame' and 'power' to 'corrupt' him, while he alleged that 'life is tough' for the TV star's former lover, who he claims was ferried between the presenter's home and the studios in taxis 'paid for by ITV'. 

It comes as Schofield admitted on Friday that he had lied about his relationship with a much younger male colleague, plunging ITV into meltdown, losing millions of pounds of sponsorship deals in the aftermath.

Holmes told GB News presenter and MailOnline columnist Dan Wootton tonight he had decided to 'speak for people who hadn't got a voice'.

Speaking of the affair, he said: 'It's a total cover up. Those in authority had to know. They had to know what was going on and they thought they would dodge the bullet which they did and they do constantly.'

'All I'm here to do is to speak for people who hadn't got a voice ... I'm speaking on behalf of them,' he added. 

Going into further details about why Holmes believed ITV must have known about the relationship, he spoke of how 'Thursday was playtime' for the former couple.

He claimed the pair arrived at ITV Studios in separate cars from Schofield's home on Friday mornings. 

He said: 'Usually on a Friday morning, because Thursday was playtime when he and Phillip would hit the town and then he obviously stayed overnight. There are records to show that he was brought in the next day separately in cars paid for by ITV.'

ITV's managing director of media and entertainment Kevin Lygo refused to answer questions about Schofield after being pursued on the street by a GB News producer.

He was asked outside a station whether there had been a 'cover up' of the affair, but Mr Lygo walked away, telling the producer: 'We really have no more to say.'

ITV has continued to insist that it carried out an investigation in 2020, after rumours of Schofield's affair with a younger male employee began to circulate. But last night, while ITV maintains both party's were interviewed, sources close to his former lover said he was never quizzed on the matter. 

Ahead of the interview, Holmes and Wootton, who also used to work for ITV, pledged to tell 'the real story' behind Schofield's affair with a younger colleague and the culture at This Morning.

He said: 'A lie unchallenged becomes the truth. Not on my watch it doesn't Pip.

'Tonight is for all my workmates over the years who were frightened and ignored byyou and your controlling, coercive behaviour. 

'All you who no one listened to. I'm here for you.' 

He also added that he was 'just telling the truth in the face of a coercive controller'.

It is unclear who exactly he was referring to as a 'coercive controller'.

Earlier today, Schofield broke his silence slamming a 'handful of people' with 'persistently loud voices' and rejected claims that there was a 'toxic' on the show.

In a statement posted on his Instagram, the 61-year-old presenter said: 'Now I no longer work on This Morning I am free to say this. 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.

'This Morning IS the best show to work on, with the best people. In all the years I worked there was no toxicity. You can listen

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