Martin Frizell is stepping down as editor of ITV‘s This Morning after 10 years in charge, it emerged today.
Frizell, who is married to former GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips, joined the broadcaster in 2014 as editor of Loose Women before taking over at This Morning. Phillips, 63, revealed in July 2023 that she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s the previous year.
The move comes after more than a year of scandal at This Morning which saw Phillip Schofield step down after more than 20 years on the programme after lying about an affair with a younger colleague.
ITV bosses have been forced to deny ‘turning a blind eye’ to the affair before it came out in public, prompting a huge public spat between Schofield and his former best friend Holly Willoughby – who herself resigned after being informed by police of a plot to kill her.
This Morning has also been buffeted from claims by former presenter Dr Ranj of a ‘toxic work culture’ behind the scenes that ‘went far beyond’ Schofield.
The successor of 65-year-old Frizell – who is This Morning’s longest serving editor – will be announced ‘in due course’, ITV said.
One ITV source said today: ‘It is the 24/7 nature of the role which isn’t conducive to Fiona’s illness and next year he thinks that he is going to have to be around so much more for her. His family commitments are about to change and he needs a job that can blend into that rather than a job which takes over his entire life.’
Martin Frizell, pictured with his wife in 1998, is stepping down as editor of ITV’s This Morning programme after 10 years in charge
Frizell is seen here with former This Morning presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield at the TV Choice Awards in September 2019
ITV today said Frizell would be leaving his role in Spring next year.
Frizell said in a statement this afternoon: ‘Next year I’m expecting my family priorities to change so I need to free up time for them.
‘I love my team at ITV and will miss them and the thrill of live telly but it’s an always on, 24 hours a day, seven days a week commitment and I won’t be able to do both.’
An ITV source said: ‘Martin has been talking about this for a while.
‘He and Emma Gormley, the head of daytime have been regularly discussing when might be the time he decides to leave This Morning.
‘It has been ten years and the last few have been very difficult what with Holly and Phil going and the fall out from that and now it’s time.
‘Martin micro manages everything on This Morning, from the colours to the lighting to the scripts, he is over every bit of detail and he can’t do that with Fiona’s condition deteriorating. It is very sad.’
Frizell himself added in today’s statement: ‘It’s been a privilege to lead truly great presenters and producers, between us we’ve turned out more than six thousand hours of live topical telly, that’s around 20,000 items and the gongs are always nice.’
He described his pride in campaigns covering subjects such as suicide, menopause, testicular cancer, adding: ‘This juggernaut is the toughest test for any broadcast journalist.’
Kevin Lygo, ITV’s managing director for media and entertainment, paid tribute to him, saying: ‘This Morning is an iconic show in ITV’s schedule, and heading the team for a decade, producing more than ten hours of original, topical, live television every week is an amazing achievement.
‘As a programme and a brand, Martin has made sure the show continues to be a household name, an award-winning staple of the schedule with a growing successful presence in digital and social.
Phillip Schofield and the This Morning editor Martin Frizell
Frizell edited GMTV for 10 years before it was bought by ITV in 2009
‘On behalf of the ITV Network, we thank Martin and wish him the very best for his future ventures.’
And Emma Gormley, managing director for ITV Studios Daytime, added: ‘Martin has brought so much success to This Morning over the last decade which has seen an evolving landscape of changing and diversifying viewing habits.
‘Under Martin, This Morning is now one of the nation’s most engaged formats, on both ITV and social platforms, hitting an amazing 1billion views across this year alone; an incredible legacy.
‘I am proud of the brilliance and energy that he has brought to his role as custodian of this iconic brand.
‘Martin’s decade-long contribution to the longevity and good health of our flagship show has been remarkable, and he leaves it in a place where it can continue to thrive into the next decade and beyond.’
In an email to ITV staff, Frizell said: ‘Hello friends, hopefully you have not heard on the grapevine and maybe you weren’t in planning today so this could be a surprise for you – but I am leaving.
‘This will be my last Christmas at a programme that I have loved working on and the best bit was working with you.
‘As you probably know, I have stuff going on in my personal life which quite rightly takes up some time and sadly a show like This Morning is a seven day always on job – which I love but I do need to free up even just a few hours for others.
‘I plan to carry on working and I’ll let you know more later but I will be around for a while yet, I have been in talks with Kevin and Emma and they have asked me to stay until spring so it’s business as usual for now and luckily more of my really fun humour, which I know you appreciate!’
According to The Sun, the announcement came as a ‘real shock’ to everyone on the show.
Over the last decade, This Morning has been awarded a BAFTA and won seven National Television Awards, seven TV Choice Awards and seven Cannes Lions, including two golds.
Frizell is a producer and editor with a particularly distinguished record in the news industry. He is originally from Glasgow, and was born on December 9 1958.
He qualified as a journalist from Edinburgh Napier University, and got his first job afterwards as a researcher for the BBC.
Martin Frizell and Fiona Phillips were colleagues at GMTV when they married in 1997
Fiona Phillips and Martin Frizell attend the funeral of Derek Draper
Between starting his professional career at the BBC, and now producing This Morning, Frizell has taken on a number of roles for a variety of publishers.
His journalism has seen him appear in The Sun, The Daily Mail, and The Mirror, having previously been a correspondent for Thomson Reuters news agency.
Frizell then became Scotland correspondent for GMTV, before going on to edit the channel for 10 years.
When GMTV was bought by ITV in 2009, Frizell left, but he come back to work for the new buyers after a brief spell working for Australian breakfast programme Channel 7 Sunrise.
He then edited Loose Women, before getting the big job editing This Morning in 2016, a role he still holds.
Frizell felt the heat of the Schofield scandal in May and June 2023, which led to the ITV boss being quizzed by MPs on the topic, and calls for an enquiry into the affair.
In particular, he raised eyebrows when he asked a journalist if she likes aubergines as he was asked about his programme’s ‘toxic environment.’
A senior ITV chief reprimanded the editor for the comment. Frizell was asked if there is a ‘toxic’ work environment at This Morning, to which he 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.’
This came on the eve of Holly Willoughby’s return to the programme after two weeks off amid Schofield’s departure. Phillips, who had a range of presenting roles with the channel from 1993 to 2008, has also filled in for Lorraine Kelly on her self-titled programme in the years since ITV took it over.
Phillips and Frizell married in 1997, after the pair had been colleagues at GMTV. She and Frizell share two sons – Nathaniel, born in 1998, and Mackenzie, born in 2002.