Phillip Schofield admits he had affair with much younger male This Morning employee who was a teen when they met
PHILLIP Schofield had an affair with a “much younger” This Morning worker while still married, The Sun can reveal.
The 61-year-old – who was axed by This Morning just last week – has now quit ITV after the affair with the male ITV employee was exposed.
It’s understood the younger man, who was a teen when he met Schofield, is not a public figure and did not want the relationship to be revealed.
In a statement, Schofield said he’s “deeply sorry” for affair which he said was “unwise, but not illegal”.
He said: “I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague.
“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. When I chose to come out I did so entirely for my own wellbeing. Nobody ‘forced’ me out.
“Neither I nor anyone else, to my knowledge, has ever issued an injunction, super or otherwise, about my relationship with this colleague, he was never moved on or sacked by or because of me.
“In an effort to protect my ex-colleague I haven’t been truthful about the relationship.
“But my recent, unrelated, departure from This Morning fuelled speculation and raised questions which have been impacting him, so for his sake it is important for me to be honest now.
“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.
“I have therefore decided to step down from the British Soap Awards, my last public commitment, and am resigning from ITV with immediate effect expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me.
“I will reflect on my very bad judgement in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it.
“To protect his privacy, I am not naming this individual and my deepest wish is that both he and his family can now move on with their lives free from further intrusion, and that this statement will enable them to do so.
“I ask the media now to respect their privacy. They have done nothing wrong, and I ask that their privacy should be respected.”
Schofield has been been dropped by his agent YMU, which said in a statement: “Honesty and integrity are core values for YMU’s whole business, defining everything we do.
“Talent management is a relationship based entirely on trust.
“This week, we have learned important new information about our client Phillip Schofield.”
Schofield said: “It is with the most profound regret that after 35 years of being faultlessly managed by YMU I have agreed to step down from their representation with immediate effect.”
Phillip Schofield was still married to his wife Stephanie Lowe at the time of the affair, who he married in 1993.
Schofield opened up about being gay in 2020, but remained married to wife Stephanie.
Schofield was only just axed from This Morning last week — unable to bid farewell to his fans.
His exit was confirmed after weeks of intense speculation about his future and a feud with co-host Holly Willoughby, 42 — and as an insider revealed the row was even putting off guests from appearing with them.
It comes after his brother Tim Schofield was jailed after being found guilty of “emotionally blackmailing” a teen into sex acts and forcing him to watch porn.
And days later, Phillip Schofield, the host of 21 years had been in an office with show chief Martin Frizzell and told his contract, due to end this summer, was not being renewed.
Devastated Phil then drove 300 miles from London to Cornwall to see mum Pat, 85, where he spent Friday pouring his heart out to her on a coastal walk.
Phil, 61, was also expected to leave Dancing on Ice, which the pair also presented together.
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A source said: “It’s been a very difficult time for them but they talked about the end of an era and called something of a truce.”
Phil made no mention of Holly in a statement announcing his shock departure.
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, 42, 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.”
Bosses had decided the situation was unworkable following clear on-screen tension between them which led to the show shedding 170,000 viewers.
Meanwhile another insider revealed that some celebrity and political guests was requesting to appear on Fridays with Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary rather than Holly and Phil.
The insider said: “Senior producers could no longer ignore this and it was becoming a real problem.”
Staff had been told to prepare for a June 6 meeting with ITV’s head of daytime Emma Gormley at which a big announcement was due.
But it seems the axe was wielded quicker.
A TV source: “The tense atmosphere backstage has been completely unworkable and toxic so bosses had to step in and make a decision for the sake of the cast, crew and future of the show.
“Phil was fully planning on seeing out his contract with a stoic, “grin-and-bear-it attitude” and thought he could navigate the rough waters.
“But bosses were worried they might lose their golden girl Holly so decided to pull the plug on Phil. He was devastated.
“Crew were none the wiser when they left work on Friday afternoon and were fully expecting to see Phil turn up to work on Monday.
“It has felt like the writing was on the wall for some time, but neither he nor many show staff were expecting ITV’s knee-jerk reaction.
“Producers have compiled an emergency team of fill-in hosts from their presenting roster to keep the show afloat for the next week.
“But no decisions have been made about who will sit alongside Holly for the long-term.”
