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Jason Gardiner is the latest star to hit out at the ‘toxic culture’ of ITV, claiming Dancing On Ice bosses threatened to kick him off the show just hours before it was due to air.
The star, 51, who was an on-off judge on the skating show from 2006 until 2019, claims he was employed to be the programme’s ‘Mr Nasty’ but was told off by chiefs when he made nice comments to the celebrity competitors and their professional partners.
He said he was confronted in his dressing room by executives following his fiery interaction with Gemma Collins during the 2019 series, when she accused him of selling stories on him.
And he has also lashed out at ITV following the axing of Phillip Schofield after he admitted to an affair with a much younger This Morning colleague, telling The Sun: ‘The fish rots from the head . . . there’s a lot of toxic people still in control.’
He added: ‘I believe this toxic culture will destroy itself. This is opening Pandora’s box, and rightly so.’
Fighting talk: Jason Gardiner, 51, is the latest star to hit out at the ‘toxic culture’ of ITV, claiming Dancing On Ice bosses threatened to kick him off the show just hours before it was due to air
On air: The star, who was an on-off judge on the skating show from 2006 until 2019, claims he was employed to be the programme’s ‘Mr Nasty’ (Dancing On Ice hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield pictured on show in February)
Jason quit Dancing On Ice in 2019 after his altercation with Diva Forever star Gemma, with the Australian choreographer claiming he was ‘hung out to dry’.
He said the culture became ‘gradually worse’ while he was working for ITV, adding: ‘I was getting a lot of mixed signals. And that’s the thing, they played with me.
‘If I wasn’t nasty enough, I was called in after the show, frogmarched in, and sat down like, “What’s happening with you? We haven’t hired you to be nice. We’ve got four other people that will just be very nice and say nothing”.
‘So I knew my place, I was put in my place.’
But Jason said it was his run-in with Gemma that was the final nail in the coffin, with the star claiming he was not backed by show bosses.
He felt the on-air accusation was ‘beyond the pale’ and claims bosses did not want to issue a statement because it would add ‘gravitas’ to the situation.
He claims they wanted to protect the ITV brand over him, while a lawyer pal told him he would have had a ‘strong defamation case’ against Gemma if he wanted to take action.
Jason claims he was visited in his dressing room by Katie Rawcliffe, the head of entertainment at ITV, and asked if he would be taking legal action, to which he told her he was considering it.
Drama: Gemma Collins lashed out at Jason Gardiner during the third week of the ITV show in 2019
However, Jason claims she went off to speak to the broadcaster’s legal department and told him it would be in breach of his contract and he would be axed from Dancing On Ice if he did.
When things became heated, he ordered her to leave his dressing room, but it is claimed she returned another time with ITV’s head of entertainment commissioning, Siobhan Greene, known as Shu.
He claims he told them he did not like the ultimatum he was being given and that he felt threatened.
‘It was highly pressured and stressful, I felt sick to my stomach. So I backed down because I had no support,’ he said.
However, an ITV source disputed this version of events, telling The Sun: ‘This was part of a wider conversation outlining the possible ramifications of legal action, and it was felt it would be inappropriate for him, as a celebrity judge, to be judging an individual contestant against whom he was pursuing a legal case.
‘This was no way intended to be seen as unsupportive, more a transparency about the process.’
MailOnline has contacted ITV for comment.
Meanwhile, Jason claims he received an abrupt response from Phillip Schofield when the Dancing On Ice judge questioned the former This Morning host over his affair with a younger colleague.
Television presenter Phillip, 61, was dropped by ITV and his talent agency YMU after he admitted to the Mail he’d had an ‘unwise but not illegal relationship’ with a much younger runner on This Morning.
Claims: Jason claims he received an abrupt response from Phillip Schofield when the Dancing On Ice judge questioned the former This Morning host over his affair with a younger colleague
Spotted: Jason, who had seen Phil with the runner on the Dancing On Ice set, said he first started to hear talk of the relationship in 2020, when Phillip came out as gay
And Jason, who had seen Phil with the runner on the Dancing On Ice set, said he first started to hear talk of the relationship in 2020, when Phillip came out as gay.
The speculation prompted Jason to send Phillip a message on Twitter.
He explained to The Sun: ‘I went into a bit of a tailspin.
‘I said, “I know this is a very difficult moment for you and I support you in your decision to come out, but I also feel that I need to ask you about certain rumours that are going around online and are you aware of them?”.’
Jason claims Phillip replied with one single word: ‘Seriously?’
The Australian choreographer added: ‘That was it. It was very dismissive and that made me uneasy because I thought, “I’ve reached out to you very authentically”, and it kind of really p***ed me off.’
MailOnline has contacted a representative for Phillip for comment.
It comes after Vanessa Feltz suggested the stars who have spoken out against This Morning of have a grudge against the show.
Opinion: It comes after Vanessa Feltz, 61, has suggested the stars who have spoken out against This Morning of have a grudge against the show
The likes of former host Eamonn Holmes, 63, and ex resident doctor Ranj Singh, 43, have criticised Phillip Schofield and This Morning after Phil left the show last month.
Broadcaster Phillip, 61, stepped down amid rumours of a feud between him and co-host Holly Willoughby, 42, before he admitted he’d had an affair with a much younger colleague, which led to him leaving the programme and being dropped by his agents.
During her Talk TV show on Tuesday, Vanessa, 61, who regularly appears on This Morning herself, said to showbiz presenter Ellie Phillips: ‘It has been suggested that quite a lot of the people who are very vocally critical of This Morning.
‘And, actually, it’s a handful of people, there are some celebrities, a couple of journalists, and what’s been suggested is quite a lot of them were once on the programme and aren’t on it anymore.
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‘And that is the reason for this aggrieved, grudging malice that is coming out but if you ask people who are still on the programme and who are on it regularly, who enjoy being on it, they won’t know what they’re talking about.’
It comes after Eamonn claimed there was a ‘cover-up’ at This Morning.
Backlash: The likes of former host Eamonn Holmes, 63, and ex resident doctor Ranj Singh, 43, have criticised Phillip Schofield and This Morning after Phil (pictured) left the show last month
The veteran presenter – who previously co-hosted the show alongside Ruth Langsford, his wife – said during a GB News interview: ‘Those in authority had to know what was going on and they thought they would dodge a bullet with this.
‘With Schofield talking about those who speak out against him – namely me, Amanda Holden, Dr Ranj [Singh] as well. You simply sit there and think “No mate, you’ve had it all your way for too long”.’
Meanwhile, Dr. Ranj said This Morning has a ‘toxic culture’.
The 43-year-old medical professional ‘genuinely loved’ being on the ITV1 morning show but issued a statement about his time working on it amid the scandal surrounding Philip.
Dr. Ranj wrote on Twitter: ‘I was on the show for 10 years and I genuinely loved and valued working there. However, over time I grew increasingly worried about things behind the scenes and how people, including myself, were being treated.’
Dr Ranj claimed that he ‘didn’t know the truth’ about Phillip but admitted understanding the problems did not stop with him.
Unimpressed: It comes after Eamonn claimed there was a ‘cover-up’ at This Morning, with the former host having been very outspoken with his criticism of the show
He wrote: ‘I didn’t know the truth about what was going on with Phillip, but I do know the issues with This Morning go far beyond him. It takes more than one person to create a culture.’
Dr Ranj added that he ‘did what I thought was right’ and sent in a compliant about the programme’s editor, Martin Frizzell’s conduct and felt a special responsibility to so because of his job role, writing ‘especially given that my job is to look after people’s wellbeing and I had been heavily involved in diversity, anti-bullying and mental health projects across the channel’.
‘I then found myself being used less and less,’ he added.
The television personality explained his rationale why he felt he was being ‘managed out’ and knows his experience is not just his.
Ranj wrote: ‘I even took my concerns directly to the top of ITV: the culture at This Morning had become toxic, no longer aligned with ITV values, and I felt like because I whistle-blew I was managed out.
‘But as history and experience have taught us, things like bullying and discrimination are very hard to prove, particularly in hindsight and when the “people in power” control the narrative. As we’ve seen, no review or investigation is foolproof.
‘I haven’t worked on the show since… and I’m not the only one who has spoken up or experienced similar.
‘That was two years ago and, frankly, it still hurts. The whole process was pretty heart-breaking and even affected my mental health. But I’m happy to say I’ve found my feet again, know my worth and have found my tribe.
Telling his story: Meanwhile, Dr. Ranj said This Morning has a ‘toxic culture’ and he’d taken his concerns to ‘the top’ of ITV but that he felt he had been ‘managed out’
Speaking out: In a lengthy Instagram post, Dr Ranj Singh said he had ‘thought long and hard’ before weighing in on the ongoing scandal
Worries: The television medic confirmed that he had taken concerns about the behaviour of editors and senior producers to ITV and had then seen his screentime drop
‘There are some good people in TV, but we need to be brave and stand up to those who aren’t. Even if it’s scary as hell, we have to do the right thing otherwise nothing will change. I sincerely hope something good comes from all this.’
Dr Ranj also wrote ‘there is so much more’ he could reveal.
An ITV spokesperson said in response: ‘We are sorry to read Dr Ranj’s post today. At ITV we are fully committed to providing every opportunity for anyone who works with us to raise any concern or comments they may have.
‘Following a complaint made by Dr Ranj, we appointed an external and independent advisor to carry out a review. This external review found no evidence of bullying or discrimination.’
Phillip has denied suggestions of there being a ‘toxic’ atmosphere on This Morning.
The TV presenter – who co-hosted the show alongside Holly Willoughby – wrote on Instagram: ‘Now I no longer work on @thismorning 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 there was no toxicity.
‘You can listen to those persistently loud voices if you like. But the thousands of guests over the years, thousands of staff and crew, hundreds of presenters and contributors all know, it IS a family of wonderful, talented, kind, hard working people.’
Meanwhile, Holly returned to This Morning on Monday alongside temporary co-host Josie Gibson.
Holly said: ‘Hi there, good morning. Josie, thank you for being here. Right, deep breath. 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.
Comeback: Meanwhile, Holly returned to This Morning on Monday alongside temporary co-host Josie Gibson
‘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.
‘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, Alison, Craig and every single person that works on this show will continue to work hard every single day to bring you the show that we love.’
