Phillip Schofield dramatically quits ITV as he admits affair with younger This Morning colleague and lying about it

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hillip Schofield has announced he is quitting ITV with immediate effect as he admitted having an affair with a “younger male colleague” and then lying about it to his bosses.

In a statement to the Daily Mail on Fridy evening, the ex-This Morning presenter, 61, admitted an “unwise but not illegal” relationship with the man while he was still married to his wife of 30 years.

He said: “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.”

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Phillip Schofield with his former This Morning and Dancing On Ice colleague Holly Willoughby (Ian West/PA)

/ PA Archive

He said he had lied to ITV about the relationship with the ex-colleague and that he would be resigning from the broadcaster with immediate effect.

Schofield said he had never issued an injuction about the relationship and that the person was never moved on or sacked from This Morning because of it.

“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,” he told the paper.

“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.

Phillip Schofield at The British Soap Awards

/ ITV/Shutterstock

“I will reflect on my very bad judgement in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it.”

ITV confirmed they have accepted his resignation and that he will no longer be appearing on the channel.

A spokesperson said: “We are deeply disappointed by the admissions of deceit made tonight by Phillip Schofield.

“The relationships we have with those we work with are based on trust. Phillip made assurances to us which he now acknowledges were untrue and we feel badly let down.

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

His agent YMU group said it had parted ways with Schofield after it learned “important new information” about the media personality which contradicted what the star had previously told them.

His recent departure from This Morning came amid reports of a rift between Schofield and co-presenter Holly Willoughby.

In a statement on Thursday, CEO of YMU Group, Mary Bekhait, said: “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. These facts contradicted what Phillip had previously told YMU, as well as the external advisors we had brought in to support him.

Phillip Schofield on This Morning has announced he is gay

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Phillip Schofield on This Morning

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Phillip Schofield on This Morning

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Phillip Schofield on This Morning

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Phillip Schofield and Stephanie Lowe attending the National Television Awards 2019

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Holly Willoughby, Phillip Schofield, Dr Ranj Singh, Ruth Langsford, Eamonn Holmes, Rochelle Humes, Lisa Snowdon and the cast of “This Morning”, pose in the winners room after winning the Live Magazine Show award during the National Television Awards 2020

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Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield pose with the award for Live Magazine Show for ‘This Morning’ in the winners room attends the National Television Awards 2020

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Phillip Schofield making his big break on New Zealand TV

Phillip Schofield with Gordon The Gopher

Phillip Schofield in his early BBC TV day

BBC TV’s Saturday morning children’s programme “Going Live” with Sarah Greene, puppet “Gordon the Gopher”, Phillip Schofield and resident fashion expert Annnabel Giles in 1987

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Phillip Schofield and Sarah Greene on the ‘hot line’ in London, as they host BBC1’s saturday morning programme ‘Going Live’ in 1987

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Phillip Schofield with Caron Keating and Sarah Greene in 1988

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Phillip Schofield and his wife Stephanie attend the London premiere of Evita in 1996

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Phillip Schofield, his wife Stephanie and children Ruby (right) and Molly arrive for the premiere of Disney’s new animated film Return to Neverland at the Odeon Leicester Square, London in 2002

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Phillip Schofield

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Phillip Schofield in Joseph

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Phillip Schofield in the 1996 title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat

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phillip Schofield with the mythical creature ‘Pushmi-Pullyu’ on stage in the production of Dr Doolittle at the Apollo Theatre in 1998

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Fern Britton with Phillip Schofield prenting This Morning in 2003

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield for Dancing On Ice in 2006

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on the This Morning set, after Holly was named today as Fern Britton’s replacement on the flagship ITV daytime show This Morning in 2009

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hillip Schofield and family arriving for the 2009 British Soap Awards

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Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield for Dancing On Ice in 2009

Phillip Schofield and family arriving for the premiere of ‘Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience’ in 2009

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The Cube with presenter Phillip Schofield

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Phillip Schofield with the Entertainment Programme award received for The Cube at the Philips British Academy Television Awards 2011

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Prince of Wales talking to TV presenter Philip Schofield, during a 2012 reception for celebrities and volunteers of the Diamond Champions volunteers organised by the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS), at Clarence House in central London

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Phillip Schofield presenting 5 Gold Rings

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Phillip Schofield and Fern Britton presenting All Star Mr & Mrs

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The Queen greeting Phillip Schofield at a reception for the Queen’s Young Leaders Awards at Buckingham Palace in 2016

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Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield during the press launch for the upcoming series of Dancing On Ice at the Natural History Museum Ice Rink in 2018

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Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield. Dancing On Ice: Series 12 in 2020

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Phillip Schofield on This Morning

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Phillip Schofield on This Morning

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Phillip Schofield on This Morning

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Phillip Schofield on This Morning

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“As a result, on Thursday we agreed to part company with Phillip, with immediate effect.”

In a statement through a lawyer, 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.”

Schofield, who had co-presented This Morning with Willoughby since 2009, said last week he decided to leave the show because it had “become the story”.

He said in last week’s statement: “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 that the show can move forward to a bright future.”

Schofield’s wife, Stephanie – who shares two children with Phillip – previously stood by him when he revealed in 2020 he was gay on ITV after 27 years of marriage.

At the time, his wife said: “We have had to face the most emotionally painful time in our 27 years of marriage.”

Schofield first began in UK media as a teenager, and made his name appearing on shows such as the Saturday morning programme Going Live!

He started at This Morning in 2002 as a temporary presenter before becoming a permanent fixture at the show.

Fern Britton, his original co-host, quit the programme in 2009, with Britton replaced with Willoughby.