Less than half an hour before the programme was due to air on Monday, the 61-year-old posted a message to his 2.9 million followers on Instagram.

It read: "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."

Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary, who have presented since Schofield stepped down on 20 May, said soon after Monday's show started that "we know we happen to be in the news at the moment".

Read more:
A timeline of the This Morning controversy
ITV responds to rumours around show's future
Why Schofield's admission could kill off his career

"Of course we appreciate that," O'Leary said ahead of their newspaper review. "But just from both of us and the whole team here, the crew, the guys downstairs, we love making this show for all of you."

Hammond added: "We really do. And that's exactly what we're going to do."

Gyles Brandreth, who was reviewing the papers, also offered his support, saying: "This is a happy place to work. I enjoy coming here."

'Toxic culture' goes 'far beyond' Schofield

It comes after former This Morning doctor Ranj Singh, released a statement about the "toxic culture" at the show, claiming the "issues" with it "go far beyond him [Schofield]".

Schofield's former colleague, Eamonn Holmes, said the star had "finally been caught out".

"He's not the only guilty party. 4 high members of ITV management knew what sort of man he was," he said on Twitter.

ITV said it investigated "rumours of a relationship" between the host and a production assistant on the show in 2020 but that both parties denied it.

In response to Dr Ranj's claims, they said his complaint was investigated but "no evidence of bullying or discrimination" was found.

First show since affair admission

Hammond and O'Leary paid a short 30-second tribute to Schofield on Friday's show - a day before he revealed he had quit over the "unwise but not illegal" affair.

He originally said he was stepping down because the programme had "become the story" following reports of a feud between him and co-host Holly Willoughby.

That came after his brother was recently jailed for 12 years over child sex offences.

Willoughby, 41, is due to return next Monday (5 June), having gone on an early half-term holiday on 22 May.

She has said that "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 this was a lie," an Instagram statement added.

Schofield has now completely resigned from ITV and been dropped by his agents.

His statement to the Daily Mail also admitted lying about the affair to his wife, to ITV, his agents and the media.

The controversy has raised doubts about both Willoughby's and the show's future, but ITV has denied reports it could be axed.