Phillip Schofield will no longer work with ITV after he confirmed reports that he had an affair with a younger colleague from This Morning.
This also includes his role as host of the British Soap Awards, which are due to take place on Saturday 3 June.
What happened with Phillip Schofield?
Earlier this month Schofield said: “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.”
There was no mention of Holly Willoughby in the statement, following rumours of an alleged falling out between the usually close pair.
Following Schofield’s announcement, Willoughby issued her own statement on Instagram in which she wrote: “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.”
Schofield’s departure came a day after his brother, Timothy Schofield, was sentenced to 12 years in jail for child sex offences.
However, reports of Mr Schofield’s relationship with a younger man employed at This Morning had been circulating online for some time.
On Friday, Schofield quit ITV and admitted he did have an affair with a younger male ITV employee and had lied to cover it up.
In his statement to the Daily Mail, he said the relationship with the younger colleague “was unwise, but not illegal”.
The affair happened while he was married to his wife of 30 years, Stephanie Lowe. The couple separated in 2020 after Mr Schofield came out as gay.
Mr Schofield added: “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.”
His statement also revealed he was stepping down from ITV with immediate effect and will not host next month’s British Soap Awards as planned.
In response to Mr Schofield’s statement, his agents at YMU Group cut ties with the presenter.
Ms Willoughby, writing on Instagram on Saturday in response to Mr Schofield’s admission, said: “It has taken time to process yesterday’s news.
“When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not.
“It’s been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie.”
Following Schofield’s resignation, some former This Morning employees have come out to criticise the broadcaster.
The show’s former resident doctor, Dr Ranj Singh, hit out at the daytime show’s “toxic” culture, saying he raised concerns about “bullying and discrimination” two years ago when he worked there and afterwards felt like he was “managed out” for whistleblowing.
Who will present the British Soap Awards instead?
Schofield has hosted the awards since 2006, so it will make quite a change.
ITV has not yet confirmed who will host the Soap Awards instead, but bookies have tipped Joel Dommett to take over.
An ITV spokesperson said: “The British Soap Awards will take place next Saturday as planned, and we will make further announcements in due course.”
Bookmakers Coral put Joel, 37, at 1/2 odds to host the awards, followed closely by This Morning‘s Dermot O’Leary, 50, at 5/2.
Bradley Walsh and Vernon Kay are also thought to be in the running.
Coral’s John Hill said: “Joel Dommett tops our betting to replace Philip Schofield as the host of the 2023 British Soap Awards. ITV are likely to see him as the perfect fit as he is now one of the channel’s most popular presenters.
“Dermot O’Leary and Vernon Kay are both names which have been well backed, while Mo Giligan could be in the mix following his experience at the Brit Awards.”
Previous years have seen Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, Matthew Kelly, Melanie Sykes and Des O’Connor, and Paul O’Grady host.
What was Schofield’s full statement?
“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 a just a friendship. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over…
“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 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.”
What did ITV say?
On Saturday, ITV said that it had investigated the rumours in early 2020, but Schofield “categorically” denied that it was true.
“Further to our statement last night, ITV can confirm that when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate in early 2020 ITV investigated,” a spokesperson for the broadcaster said.
“Both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip’s then agency YMU.
“In addition, ITV spoke to a number of people who worked on This Morning and were not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour.
“Phillip’s statement yesterday reveals that he lied to people at ITV, from senior management to fellow presenters, to YMU, to the media and to others over this relationship.”
