Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary furious after being forced to present tribute to Phillip Schofield

Alison Hammond, 47, is set to host This Morning today (May 29) alongside Dermot O’Leary. It was announced the pair will be stepping in as interim hosts after Phillip Schofield resigned from his role after over 21 years in the job. However, the pair are now said to be upset at being drawn into the situation after details of his affair with a colleague, understood to be a runner with aspirations of becoming a TV presenter, finally emerged.

On Friday, Phillip released a statement to The Daily Mail revealing he conducted an affair with a young colleague while he was still married to Stephanie Lowe, the mother of his two children. The 61-year-old said: “I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.”

He also apologised for his dishonesty saying: “I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife.”

According to The Irish Sun, Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary are furious at being made to pay tribute to Phillip Schofield just days before the confession. On May 22, the duo tackled Phillip’s exit head on in a tribute to the former This Morning presenter. Alison said: "We can’t start the show without paying tribute to the man who spent the last two decades sitting on the This Morning sofa. Quite simply, we all know he’s one of the best live television broadcasters this country has ever had and we and all the team wish him all the best."

Dermot added: "As a show, everyone on and off screen want to say a huge thank you to Phil for what he’s done to make the show a success over the last 21 years."

A source told MailOnline: “Obviously lots of people have been upset on and off camera following Phillip’s extraordinary statement on Friday. It’s fair to say they feel disappointed.”

After Phillip released his statement, neither Dermot or Alison responded on their social media platforms but others were quick to air their grievances. Phillip’s former co-star Holly Willoughby said: “When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not,” before adding: “It’s been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie.”

Dr Ranj, who had been a regular on This Morning for a decade until last year, revealed on Sunday that he left the show after raising allegations about the treatment of its employees. He said: “I even took my concerns directly to the top of ITV: the culture at This Morning has become toxic, no longer aligned with ITV values, and I felt like because I whistle-blew I was managed out.”

Dr Ranj, 43, added: "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.”