An ITV boss has said comments by Martin Frizell were "extremely ill-judged" after the This Morning editor referred to aubergines when asked about allegations of a "toxic" work environment on the programme.
At a British Culture, Media and Sport Committee hearing to talk about the draft Media Bill, Group Director of strategy, policy and regulation at ITV Magnus Brooke, was questioned about the show by British MP John Nicolson.
Mr Nicolson called Mr Frizell's remarks to a journalist "outrageously dismissive and flippant on camera about an immensely serious issue".
The This Morning editor was approached by Sky News ahead of presenter Holly Willoughby's return to This Morning following the furore over Phillip Schofield’s departure from ITV after he admitted having an affair with a younger colleague.
Asked if there is a "toxic" work environment on the show, the editor replied: "I’ll tell you what’s toxic, and I’ve always found it toxic – aubergine. Do you like aubergine? Do you? Do you like aubergine, because I don’t like aubergine. It’s just a personal thing."
Mr Brooke told MPs: "I wouldn’t endorse what he said."
He said he would not use the word "bizarre" to describe the comments and that it was "extremely ill-judged to say what he did".
Mr Brooke added: "I can reassure you on behalf of ITV that we do take all of these allegations very seriously precisely because we do have a culture where people’s conduct matters enormously."
Asked if Frizell’s position is secure, he said: "That is not a question for me and not a question for now."
Appearing to refer to Willoughby’s statement on Monday, SNP MP Mr Nicolson also asked Mr Brooke if he was "OK" to which the ITV boss replied that he was "fine".
Mr Nicolson added: "It’s the question du jour at This Morning."
In her first on-screen appearance since Schofield’s departure, Willoughby told viewers: "Firstly, are you OK? I hope so. It feels very strange indeed sitting here without Phil."
In the committee hearing, Mr Nicolson said: "I spent some time at the weekend talking to whistleblowers from ITV, including people who work and have worked at This Morning. It seems like a very unhappy place.
"Are you satisfied with the duty of care that the editorial team and senior managers provide to staff, especially young staff working there and at ITV more generally?"
Mr Brooke said: "I think there is a very sophisticated and significant system of safeguarding and duty of care at ITV."
Addressing the bullying allegations made by staff, Mr Brooke said: "We take our responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and duty of care very seriously.
"Bullying is absolutely in breach of our code of conduct, it’s very clearly set out."
He added: "Bullying is unacceptable. If we find bullying it’s inconsistent with our policy and we expect people to report it and and we would expect it to be dealt with appropriately and it will be."
Earlier in the session, committee chairwoman Caroline Dinenage said MPs would not be addressing the issues around former presenter Schofield, 61, leaving the show.
The British Conservative MP also referred to ITV chief executive Carolyn McCall being called to appear at the committee on June 14 to answer questions about the broadcaster’s approach to safeguarding and complaint handling.
Elsewhere, Holly Willoughby has returned to social media for the first time since Phillip Schofield's explosive departure from This Morning.
The TV presenter, who was absent from the ITV morning show during the furore, returned to screens on Monday but has not shared a permanent post on her personal Instagram account since May 18.
On Tuesday she shared a photo of herself in the dress she will wear for the live broadcast, which she will host with Josie Gibson.
She captioned the post: "Morning Tuesday… see you on @thismorning at 10am with @josiegibson85… the wonderful @sarah.beeny joins us today to talk about her incredibly important and personal documentary."
Willoughby’s return to the show on Monday was highly anticipated and marked her first on-screen appearance since Schofield left ITV following his revelation of an affair with a younger male colleague.
The episode was watched by an average of 839,000 viewers, the highest daily average for the show since the coronation bank holiday on May 8. It is also above the three-month average of 703,000.
The peak audience for Monday’s show – the highest number of viewers watching at any one time – was 1.6 million, nearly double the average for the whole programme.
During interviews last week, Schofield told the Sun and the BBC that Willoughby did not know about the "unwise, but not illegal" relationship, and has apologised for lying to her.
Seated next to Gibson, she said: "Firstly, are you OK? I hope so. It feels very strange indeed sitting here without Phil. And I imagine that you might have been feeling a lot like I have – shaken, troubled, let down, worried for the wellbeing of people on all sides of what’s been going on, and full of questions."
She continued: "You, me and all of us at This Morning gave our love and support to someone who was not telling the truth, who acted in a way that they themselves felt that they had to resign from ITV, and step down from a career that they loved. That is a lot to process.
"And it’s equally hard to see the toll that it’s taken on their own mental health.
"I think what unites us all now is a desire to heal, for the health and wellbeing of everyone."
Schofield has spoken about the toll the fallout from the scandal has had on his mental health, telling the Sun it has had a "catastrophic effect" on his mind and he is currently getting by "hour by hour".
In a statement she wrote herself, Willoughby thanked viewers for their support, saying: "I hope that, as we start this new chapter and get back 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, can I just say thank you for all of your kind messages and thank you for being here this morning.
"Myself, Josie, Dermot (O’Leary), Alison (Hammond), Craig (Doyle), and every single person that works on this show will continue to work hard every single day to bring you that, this show that we love."
Willoughby has previously revealed how hurt she was by Schofield’s actions in a statement on her Instagram story, saying: "When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not. It’s been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie."
Former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes and the show’s former resident doctor Dr Ranj Singh have both separately made allegations about the culture behind the scenes at the programme in the wake of Schofield’s departure.
ITV boss Carolyn McCall has been called to a parliamentary committee on June 14 to answer questions about the broadcaster’s approach to safeguarding and complaint handling following Schofield’s exit.
