PHILLIP Schofield shocked fans when he suddenly quit his high profile job of co-host on This Morning.
The TV star left ITV’s flagship show after it was revealed he had an affair with a “much younger” co-worker.
Phillip Schofield was still married to his wife Stephanie Lowe at the time of the affair.
He opened up about being gay in 2020, but remained married to his wife, who he wed in 1993.
It’s understood the younger This Morning worker who Phillip had an affair with is not a public figure and did not want the relationship to be made public – he was also not underage.
Addressing the affair in a statement, Phillip apologised, and said: “The first thing I want to say is: I am deeply sorry for having lied to them, and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on This Morning.
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“I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.
“Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship.
“That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over.”
Who is Phillip Schofield?
Philip Schofield has been working in TV and radio since he was 19 years old.
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He first started presenting in 1982, working on a show called Shazam! in New Zealand.
The TV star joined This Morning in 2002, replacing John Leslie and co-hosting with Fern Britton.
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When he announced his shock exit from the show in May 2023, Phil made no mention of Holly in his statement.
He said: “I’ve always been proud to cover fascinating stories on This Morning. But recently, This Morning itself has become the story.
“Throughout my career in TV — including the very difficult last few days — I have always done my best to be honourable and kind.
“I understand that ITV has decided the current situation can’t go on, and I want to do what I can to protect the show that I love.
“So I have agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect, in the hope the show can move forward to a bright future.
“I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me — especially This Morning’s amazing viewers — and I’ll see you all for the Soap Awards next month.”
Holly kept her statement brief, saying: “It’s been over 13 great years presenting This Morning with Phil and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for all of his knowledge, his experience and his humour. The sofa won’t feel the same without him.”
What does the ITV report about Phillip Schofield say?
On December 7, 2023, it was revealed that Phillip refused to take part in the ITV review that was launched after his affair with a colleague, it has today been revealed.
The report also said that the runner who Phil had an affair with also did not want to assist as they “wanted to move on with his life and was not prepared to assist with” .
The report also today revealed that of the 48 people interviewed only one person knew of the affair before May – and they were only told two years prior.
The findings also suggest that one person is not Holly Willoughby as they were a junior at ITV.
The report was conducted by Jane Mulcahy KC who wrote: “Only one person to whom I spoke had any knowledge of an affair between PS and PX prior to May 2023 (they became aware in 2021) and that former junior employee did not report their knowledge at the time.
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“Nor did others report suspicions from much earlier in 2017.
