It started with a tabloid story that a male and female presenter on daytime TV were no longer getting on. Big deal.

It was accompanied by darker rumours about Philip Schofield, a fixture on television for decades. And then the wisps of smoke on a hillside became a full scale wildfire, tearing through ITV.

His relationship with a much younger man have now turned this into a daytime chat show into peak time drama, and questions are now growing for ITV senior management.

An ITV statement on Saturday responded to allegations that ITV ignored any potential relationship Schofield had at ITV.

“ITV can confirm that when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate in early 2020 ITV investigated.

"Both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip's then agency YMU.

"Phillip’s statement [a few days ago] reveals that he lied to people at ITV… over this relationship."