Watch: This Morning editor’s bizarre response to Phillip Schofield scandal

He said: “I’ll tell you what’s toxic and I’ve always found it toxic. Aubergine. Do you like aubergine?”

When prompted again about whether a toxic environment existed, he continued: “But do you like aubergine because I don’t like aubergine. It’s just a personal thing.”

It is not clear whether Mr Frizell was talking about the vegetable aubergine or making reference to the emoji which is used as a euphemism for penis. His remarks were swiftly condemned by an SNP MP.

John Nicolson, a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, tweeted: “This is a deeply inappropriate and disrespectful way to respond to questions about safeguarding vulnerable staff and bullying in the workplace at ITV.”

Over the weekend, Mr Frizell accused critics of score settling, as he defended This Morning’s culture. Speaking on Saturday, Mr Frizell, 64, said: “I think you’ve got to read between the lines. I think there are some scores being settled.”

Dr Ranj Singh, a former regular contributor, used the word to describe his experiences, while former co-presenter Eamonn Holmes has also said that a “toxic” culture left staff terrified, a claim dismissed by Schofield.

Mr Frizell’s remarks were made amid mounting pressure on senior ITV executives to explain what they knew of Schofield’s affair with a much younger runner, which the presenter described as “unwise” but “not illegal”.

Schofield left the show a fortnight ago and last week described his long television career as “over” and suggested he had considered suicide over the backlash.

ITV’s chief executive, Carolyn McCall, is due to be questioned by MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport
committee on June 14.