Phillip Schofield admits to 'unwise, but not illegal' relationship with ...

27 May 2023
Phillip Schofield

ITV

This Morning hosts pay tribute to Phillip Schofield in the first episode since he resigned.

UK television personality Phillip Schofield was dropped by his agent shortly before news broke that the former This Morning host was involved with a young ITV staff member while he was still married.

Schofield, 61, released a statement via the Daily Mail on Saturday [NZ time] apologising for misleading the tabloid and lying about the relationship with the unnamed man.

“I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning,” the statement read.

He continued that the pair met when the man was a teenager – who approached Schofield for help getting into television.

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“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.”

Schofield announced his resignation from ITV with immediate effect, and said he would no longer be hosting the British Soap Awards on June 4, which would have been his final public commitment.

This Morning/ITV

Phillip Schofield admitted in a statement to having a relationship with a young ITV staff member while he was married to Stephanie Lowe.

His statement continued that he had initially lied about the relationship in an effort to protect the young man, but his “unrelated departure” from This Morning had, “fuelled speculation and raised questions which have been impacting him, so for his sake it is important for me to be honest now”.

Schofield resigned from the British breakfast show last week amid feud rumours with co-host Holly Willoughby and a fall in the show’s ratings.

Tensions on the show are said to have begun in September 2022, when calls for both Willoughby and Schofield to be brought off-air sounded after footage emerged of the pair appearing to jump the queue to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.

In April, Schofield’s brother Timothy was convicted on 11 charges of sexual abuse against a teenage boy, leading Schofield to publicly disown his brother and take time away from This Morning.

In Saturday’s statement, Schofield apologised for lying to his employers and colleagues, the public, his agents and the media and his family.

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Phillip Schofield resigned from his role on This Morning last week, amid feud rumours with co-host Holly Willoughby.

“I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife.”

On Saturday morning [NZ time] an ITV spokesperson told The Mirror the network was, “deeply disappointed by the admissions of deceit made tonight by Phillip Schofield”.

It continued that it felt, “badly let down” after “Phillip made assurances to us which he now acknowledges were untrue”.

“We accept his resignation from ITV and therefore can confirm that he will not be appearing on ITV as had previously been stated.”

Less than an hour before Schofield’s statement was released, his agency YMU group confirmed in a statement it had “parted company” with the presenter, and said it had learnt “new information” that led to the decision.

“Honesty and integrity are core values for YMU’s whole business, defining everything we do. Talent management is a relationship based entirely on trust,” said Mary Bekhait, the agency’s group CEO.

“This week, we have learnt important new information about our client Phillip Schofield. These facts contradicted what Phillip had previously told YMU, as well as the external advisors we had brought in to support him. As a result, on Thursday we agreed to part company with Phillip, with immediate effect.”

Schofield was married to Stephanie Lowe for 27 years before he came out as gay in 2020.

Schofield began his TV career in New Zealand. He spent three years hosting 1980s music show Shazam!, and was a Radio Hauraki DJ.

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