Schofield recently addressed viewer criticism that accused them of queue jumping at Queen Elizabeth II’s lying in state ceremony. As previously reported by Holly, their relationship has soured considerably over time; currently neither one speaks with one another.
Schofield and Westcott shared 13 years on a sofa together before speculation of tensions began to surface in headlines. Schofield has now released a statement clarifying his conduct by admitting an affair ‘unwise but not illegal’ with one of his younger colleagues.
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield
Schofield co-presented This Morning with Phillip Schofield for many years until Schofield was forced out following allegations of having an affair with an ITV staff member in 2020. Schofield later apologized to his wife, family, colleagues and friends for his poor judgement in participating in this relationship; and acknowledged to both the public and agents about its end in 2021.
Due to this scandal, ITV has come under attack by MPs who allege it tolerated an inappropriate workplace culture. Today, bosses will appear before a parliamentary committee and defend themselves.
Phillip Schofield began his career at Children’s BBC continuity presenter before progressing onto shows such as All Star Mr & Mrs and Dancing On Ice. In 2002 he took over Fern Britton’s spot as host of This Morning; additionally he is known for hosting British Soap Awards as well as One in a Million, an observation series on extraordinary coincidences.
Holly Willoughby returned to This Morning following her half-term break, joined by former Big Brother winner Josie Gibson as guest host. Holly began by reading out a pre-written statement that expressed how shaken, troubled, let down and worried she felt for people on all sides – receiving applause from viewers in attendance.
Schofield’s departure from This Morning
Phillip Schofield will leave This Morning after more than 20 years on ITV’s flagship morning show This Morning, ITV recently confirmed. No official explanation was provided but speculation surfaced as to possible reasons, such as his brother’s 12-year jail sentence for child sex offenses or possible tension with Holly Willoughby (his co-host).
ITV has announced it will conduct an external review of the situation at This Morning and is scheduled to report back by year’s end. This review will assess adherence with policies regarding staff members as well as examine whether its culture had an unhealthy environment. This move follows health expert Dr Ranj Singh accusing This Morning of having a toxic atmosphere.
ITV released a statement explaining that Schofield would remain host of the British Soap Awards and other programs; however, on This Morning he would be replaced by Hammond and O’Leary.
Starting in 2009, Holly Fearne presented the show jointly as they took over for Fern Britton. Since then they have also collaborated on several other projects, such as Streetmate and Holly & Fearne Go Dating.
Schofield’s apology
On Monday morning, Willoughby returned from her two-week hiatus on This Morning and addressed the ongoing controversy regarding former co-host Schofield. She expressed that she felt “shaken, troubled and let down by all sides”, adding that her feelings had been left “utterly broken.” She admitted she felt helpless as a result of Schofield’s bombshell interview with The Sun newspaper.
Schofield denied that his relationship was sexual in nature and stated that neither his wife or agents knew about their affair. Schofield met this young man when he was 15 and they began communicating over Twitter about work in television industry.
He stated that he did not know who this individual was and that their relationship was entirely innocent, adding that he is paying for their legal advice.
On 14 June, ITV Chief Executive Dame Carolyn McCall will appear before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee to answer questions regarding its handling of the scandal. MPs may question why ITV did not take quicker action upon reports of an affair; ITV has also asked Jane Mulcahy QC (Barrister Jane Mulcahy is due to begin this month).
Schofield’s social media posts
Holly Willoughby broke her silence on social media this morning, hours after Phil Schofield abruptly left This Morning following an affair with a younger male presenter. Taking to Instagram, Holly Willoughby posted an adorable post of herself making kedgeree in white dress and black heel shoes, smiling for the camera as she smiled widely at camera.
But the caption did not directly mention Schofield by name and alluded to an impending scandal: It read ‘Interested in joining me for a tasty cup of toasted kedgeree?
Holly has not only mentioned her former co-star after the drama has subsided; last week she also posted to her lifestyle brand Wylde Moon encouraging followers to embrace positivity while noting that the new moon in Taurus coincided with Jupiter, providing good fortune.
Schofield expressed regret over his affair and felt as if he had let everyone down by it, with some disapproving due to homophobia he suggested that had it been male-female there wouldn’t have been such a scandal surrounding their relationship.
He revealed that, following the scandal, he attempted to reach out to Holly via text to apologize and she did not reply; thus confirming his belief that his television career is complete and won’t return any time soon.