Kim Woodburn denounces ‘toxic’ ITV and calls for a ‘full investigation’

Kim Woodburn has called for a ‘full investigation’ into ITV, claiming some of the channel’s shows ‘thrive on bullying and being unkind’.

The TV personality, 81, infamously clashed with her former Celebrity Big Brother housemate Coleen Nolan during an appearance on Loose Women in August 2018.

Kim has now spoken of how the recent controversy surrounding ITV – which has arisen as Phillip Schofield leaves the channel after admitting to having an affair with a much younger male colleague – has ‘certainly returned’ the feelings she endured in the wake of her ‘Loose Women’. appearance.

She told New! Magazine: ‘The recent talk of toxicity on ITV has certainly brought those feelings back to me. I’ve been saying it all along and now I feel like I’m finally right.

‘ITV needs a full investigation – some of their shows thrive on bullying and being unkind.

She continued: “In my opinion, Phillip should have been fired a long time ago, but ITV has allowed this kind of behaviour.”

Kim clashed with Coleen in the Celebrity Big Brother house weeks before her Loose Women appearance, which she agreed to ‘with the understanding that it was for a reconciliation with Coleen’, according to ITV.

But now Kim insists she was ‘exploited’ by ITV in 2018, claiming the channel should ‘provide a better duty of care’.

She added: ‘ITV assured me it wasn’t going to be a snail’s match, but that’s exactly what it was. Every time I’ve been before there was always a live feed of the show in the dressing room – but this time there wasn’t.

“I felt exploited by ITV. I was mocked. I was laughed at and no one intervened to stop it.’

ITV said in a statement to the publication: ‘As we said five years ago, Kim agreed to appear on the show on the understanding that it was for a reconciliation with Coleen.

Kim was never meant to get upset and the panel tried to comfort her. Kim was offered and accepted support from ITV after the program and Ofcom felt the program was not in breach of the broadcasting code.’

MailOnline has contacted ITV for further comment.

Kim recently launched another blistering attack on Holly Willoughby, calling for the This Morning presenter to be fired.

The former celebrity cleaner discussed the scandal that engulfed the show on GB News yesterday, hours after Holly, 42, made her return to ITV after two weeks off the air.

When Kim was asked if she believed what Holly said in an emotional monologue about her former co-star at the start of This Morning’s show, she replied, “Absolutely not, she’s a little b**ch.”

“Why did she have to say he was telling lies? It’s done and said, he’s lost his job. Why is she rubbing it in? She should be fired.’

When asked why she had such a problem with Holly, Kim replied, “Look, I’ve worked with Holly, I’ve sat on the couch with them three or four times.”

“I never liked the way she acted and I never liked the way she opted out of everything — I couldn’t stand it.”

Kim – who has made several attacks on Phillip and Holly in recent weeks – previously expressed her views on whether This Morning should be scrapped.

She said, “I have very mixed feelings about that. A nice morning show with families and mothers sitting there is nice…

“This show is so tainted and dirty. I don’t want to see it go off, but I think it should.

“I think it should come back in a different format with other people. It’s so screwed up by Schofield, but let’s not give up and start over.

“It needs to be removed and revised, and a decent show put on again.”

Kim continued her scathing assessment of Holly when she was told she plans to relaunch the show on her own next Monday, responding, “I bet she does that little b***h, I bet she does.”

She added, “In all the years she’s been on that show she’s never taken part, all we hear is ‘oh Phillip’ hahaha.

She helped and supported him to take a big paycheck, to get shot from that little b***h. Wimpy, limp little woman, she won’t be missed.’

Holly is reportedly determined to fight on to keep her spot on the bench, despite the chaos in the program.

She is paid £730,000 a year for the presenting gig, but has a growing business empire, estimated at £10 million.

Holly told This Morning viewers yesterday ‘we gave our love and support to someone who wasn’t telling the truth’ as ​​she returned to the show for the first time since Phillip’s departure.

Phillip left the show after admitting to an affair – which he labeled “unwise by not illegal.”

In an interview last week, he said Holly – who was unaware of the affair – ignored his messages and apologized and begged for forgiveness.

In her full statement, Holly said, “Hello there. Good morning. Josie [Gibson], Thanks for your presence. Right, take a deep breath. First, are you okay? It feels very strange to be here without Phil.

And I imagine you may have felt as I did—shocked, distressed, disappointed, concerned for the well-being of people on all sides of what’s going on, and full of questions.

“You, me and all of us at This Morning gave our love and support to someone who wasn’t telling the truth, who acted in a way that they themselves felt they should resign from ITV and quit a career they love. That’s a lot to process.

And it’s just as hard to see the toll it takes on their own mental health. I think what unites us all now is a desire to heal for the health and well-being of all.

“I hope that as we embark on this new chapter and return to a place of warmth and magic that this show holds for all of us, we can find strength in each other.

And, from my heart, I can just thank you for all your kind messages. And thank you for being here this morning. Myself, Josie [Gibson]Dermat [O’Leary]Alison [Hammond]Craig [Doyle]and every person who works on this show will continue to work hard every day to bring you this show that we love.”

Before the show aired, friends of Phillip’s said he wouldn’t tune in to see Holly’s return to the bank as it would be too “triggering” for him.

In an interview with The Sun, he apologized to Holly for lying to her about his relationship, saying, “I’ve lost my best friend.”

He added, “I let her down. I missed that whole show. I disappointed the viewers. Holly didn’t know and she was one of the first texts I texted to say, “I’m so, so sorry I lied to you.”

“She didn’t answer and I understand why she didn’t answer either. So yeah, if anyone links Holly to this in any way, it’s absolutely, not true at all.’

The duo have co-hosted the show since 2009 and also co-hosted Dancing On Ice.

Holly’s return comes as the ITV show has been plagued with ‘toxicity’ allegations, including from former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes who claimed there was a ‘total cover-up’ over the Schofield affair.