Phillip Schofield has said he has quit on of the leading social media platforms due to 'vile and disgusting' trolls. The This Morning host made the admission about Twitter on the ITV daytime show.
During the 'This Morning's View' segment on Tuesday's edition of the programme, Phillip revealed to co-host Holly Willoughby and their guests Matthew Wright and Vanessa Feltz that he had deleted the app from his phone.
The admission came as they discussed the news that Elon Musk has reached an agreement to buy Twitter for around 44 billion dollars (£34.5 billion), while promising a more lenient touch to policing content on the platform.
The Tesla CEO, who is also the world’s wealthiest person, made the announcement in a joint statement with Twitter on Monday and has said he wanted to buy and privatise Twitter because he thinks it is not living up to its potential as a platform for free speech.
During the discussion about the move on This Morning, Matthew argued that Elon Musk buying Twitter could lead to people having to share their details with the platform, meaning that they would no longer be able to create anonymous accounts. "You have to show ID to get on an airplane, so why not show ID to get on a platform where you can go into people’s homes, lives, phones…" he said.
However, Phillip, 60, said: "There's the side of the argument where, if you're gonna say something, make sure you can back it up with your own name. If that isn't the case, then it could become even more of a cesspit than it already is. I've deleted it off my phone. And I'll quite openly say that...
"Because there is a section that is wonderful and magnificent and funny and informative.... And there is a section that is vile and disgusting and I want no part of it in my life."
Vanessa, who marked a milestone on the show, replied: “Well I've never been anywhere near it. I've never even looked at it, and the reason why is that I just don't think I have a strong enough constitution. I would detest it, quite frankly. I'd be scared and I'd be horrified... I don't wanna get embroiled in it at all."
While Phillip may have deleted the app, his account still remains live with more than four million followers waiting for his next update. He last shared a post in December, sharing a followers video comparing water and a glass of gin and tonice.
