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Dr Ranj Singh admitted he’s had a ‘tough’ week after accusing This Morning of having a ‘toxic culture’.
The TV doctor, who left the show last year, claimed he was ‘managed out’ after taking his concerns to ‘the top’ of ITV.
Dr Ranj, 43, spoke out in the wake of the ongoing scandal into Phillip Schofield‘s ‘unwise’ affair with a younger male colleague.
The doctor made his first TV appearance on Wednesday on BBC‘s Morning Live. The show was dedicated to mental health for Mental Health Awareness month.
Host Gethin Jones expressed his concern to Dr Ranj as he acknowledged the past week must have been difficult in the midst of the This Morning media storm.
Emotional: Dr Ranj Singh admitted he’s had a ‘tough’ week after accusing This Morning of having a ‘toxic culture’
Scandal: Dr Ranj, 43, spoke out in the wake of the ongoing scandal into Phillip Schofield’s ‘unwise’ affair with a younger male colleague (Phillip pictured in February)
Gethin, 45, said: ‘Ranj as your friends and colleagues we know you’re having a particularly tough week, this week.’
Dr Ranj replied: ‘Yes’.
‘We’re not going to go into the specifics but it has absolutely impacted your mental health that’s absolutely fair to say’, Gethin added.
Dr Ranj, who spoke openly about how he battled suicidal thoughts when he was a teenager, went on to explain what his coping mechanisms are.
He said he has been aware of his feelings and been using time for self care and ensuring he is pacing himself.
The TV doctor took to Twitter ahead of the show. He said: ‘It’s a mental health special on @BBCMorningLive today!
‘The entire show is dedicated to exploring it & helping as many people as we can.
‘I’ll be on with @DrPunamKrishan talking about our own experiences & giving our advice on how we can ALL look after ourselves.’
Dr Ranj worked on This Morning as a resident medical expert alongside Schofield and his co-host Holly Willoughby for six years before stepping down in 2022.
Tough week: Host Gethin Jones expressed his concern to Dr Ranj as to how he was feeling in the midst of the This Morning media storm
Comfort: Gethin, 45, said: ‘Ranj as your friends and colleagues we know you’re having a particularly tough week, this week.’ Dr Ranj replied: ‘Yes’ (pictured Dr Punam Krishan)
Selfie: The TV doctor took to Twitter ahead of the show. He said: ‘It’s a mental health special on @BBCMorningLive today! ‘I’ll be on with @DrPunamKrishan’
Speaking out: The television medic previously confirmed that he had taken concerns about the behaviour of editors and senior producers to ITV and had then seen his screentime drop
Familiar face: Singh worked on the show as a resident medical expert alongside Schofield and his co-host Holly Willoughby for six years before stepping down in 2022
Old times: Phillip and Holly Willoughby with Dr Ranj on This Morning in 2019. The TV doctor said he felt he had to speak up
Statement: Dr Ranj was then forced to defend himself after a six-year old selfie taken by Singh with the young runner at the heart of Schofield’s departure emerged on social media
Veteran TV presenter Schofield, 61, resigned from ITV on Friday and was subsequently dropped by his talent agency YMU after admitting to an ‘unwise, but not illegal’ affair with a young male colleague on This Morning.
Addressing his own departure from the show over the weekend, Dr Ranj said he had raised concerns about ‘bullying and discrimination’ two years ago when he worked there and afterwards felt like he was ‘managed out’ for whistleblowing.
In a lengthy social media post, Dr Ranj wrote: ‘I was on the show for 10 years and I genuinely loved and valued working there. However, over time, I grew increasingly worried about how things were behind-the-scenes and how people, including myself, were being treated.
‘I didn’t know the truth about what was going on with Phillip, but I do know the issues with TM (This Morning) go far beyond him.
‘It takes more than one person to create a culture.’
The doctor said he raised his concerns with senior executives at ITV as he 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 continued. ‘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.’
The doctor said he was assured that things would be addressed and changes made but he has not worked on the show since – adding it ‘still hurts’ two years on from lodging complaints.
An ITV spokesman said: ‘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 adviser to carry out a review. This external review found no evidence of bullying or discrimination.’
Dr Ranj was then forced to defend himself after a six-year old selfie taken by Singh with the young runner at the heart of Schofield’s departure emerged on social media.
Taking to Twitter, he wrote: ‘It’s sad that there are people out there trying to cause damage and insinuate things from a harmless picture.
‘So here are some facts: [Phil’s ex] and I worked together at This Morning. He was 21 when we took this picture at the studio. And it was obviously taken as a joke.’
If you are struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, you can contact The Samaritans helpline 24/7 on 116 123 for help and support
