Phillip Schofield made an unforgettable impression during his 21-year run as the host of This Morning. Thanks to the bond he shared with Holly Willoughby, Phillip quickly established himself as an iconic presence on daytime TV.
Recently, 61-year-old Stephen recently admitted having an affair with one of his younger colleagues – which he described as both unwise and not illegal in an extraordinary apology to The Daily Mail.
How did he meet his ex-lover?
Philip Schofield has revealed he met his ex-lover at age 15, yet insists they did not share a consensual moment until five years later. Schofield recently caused outrage when he admitted having an affair while still married on ITV show This Morning; labeling his relationship “unwise but legal”.
Phil claims he and the man were friends first before engaging in sexual encounters, having met at drama school and following him on social media before starting work on the programme. According to Phil, they only engaged in intimate conversations in his dressing room – all of which was consensual.
He also denies asking the person to sign an NDA, not wanting him silenced by such agreements. Furthermore, the former This Morning host claims that the individual does not wish to discuss their affair and just wants this all over quickly.
He acknowledges assisting a fellow cast member get his first job on the show by giving work experience, but denies paying him any hush money or using ITV money for taxi rides. In addition, he disproved reports that they used an apartment in South East London together as it had already been rented out to others.
Did he tell his wife?
Phil Haslam sent shockwaves through the nation when he admitted having an illicit affair with one of his younger male colleagues while working on This Morning. Although Phil acknowledged it was unwise but not illegal, he kept their affair hidden from both bosses and co-host Holly Willoughby to protect the man involved.
Phil recently spoke out to The Sun and BBC in interviews revealing how much of his story’s backlash can be traced back to homophobia, insisting he never groomed his young lover, whom they first met when the boy was 15. He stated this claim several times throughout interviews conducted.
Friends say his wife, Amanda is deeply distressed by this news. She did not appear with him at a family event on Sunday and it is speculated she fled London in order to stay with her mother. His eldest daughter Molly, 39, may also be supporting their father as he makes this announcement.
Phil was forced to deny allegations that he concealed his affair from his agent and colleagues at YMU, who fired him after 35 years representing him. Additionally, Phil denied receiving any hush money payments or signing any NDA prohibiting him from speaking out about what transpired; furthermore he denied using ITV money to pay for taxi rides for the man involved as well as not even having an ITV account of any sort.
Did he help him get a job on This Morning?
As soon as his friendship with Schofield had formed, the young man was removed from This Morning to another ITV daytime show – much to the displeasure of staff and gossipy colleagues. Rumors swirled among staff members that this man ‘begged for a promotion’ but was denied one – prompting his departure for Loose Women where ITV paid his taxi fare between studio and flat.
On Sunday, Schofield made an appearance on Dan Wootton’s show and accused ITV of conducting a total cover-up over his affair. He claimed those in authority must know of his relationship with Schofield; that they would often travel together using taxis provided by ITV; that no hush money or NDA agreements had been inked with regard to this relationship; furthermore denying any notion that anyone had paid any sum as compensation in order to remain silent about this affair.
ITV has confirmed that when rumors first started surfacing between Schofield and his younger colleague in 2020, they conducted an investigation. Both parties categorically denied these rumor while Schofield’s talent agency also publicly disproved them at that time.
Did he lie to ITV?
At this week’s parliamentary hearing, ITV boss Dame Carolyn McCall was asked how she and her team could not have known of Schofield’s affair. McCall replied that they maintained “very high levels of scrutiny” on both him and “Person X”, who she claims is innocent young person who feels no wrongdoing on his part.
Schofield revealed to BBC in an interview that the backlash he experienced over his affair with younger colleague was fuelled by homophobia and suggested his career is likely over.
Phil Schofield made this claim during his first television interview since leaving This Morning in 2018. Additionally, he defended a low-level producer/runner who had an affair with him as “lovely boy”, adding that they grew up together.
The identity of the runner has been the subject of considerable speculation in media outlets such as The Mirror. Out of respect for his privacy, ITV is reported to have reached out to him offering therapy – though they reportedly refuse to pay for this and instead offer support in other ways – though critics have called ITV out on its apparent hypocrisy here; The Sun reported it was hypocritical. For updates regarding this story subscribe to Deadline Breaking News alerts here.