‘On the edge’: Fears for disgraced TV host Phillip Schofield
Phillip Schofield, who left TV after an affair with a younger colleague, has said he’s not a groomer as worries over his mental health mount.
Disgraced British TV host Phillip Schofield has said his career is over, he has “lost everything” and has had suicidal thoughts since his departure from television last month after he admitted he lied over an affair with a younger colleague.
In two interviews, the first since his resignations from daytime show This Morning and broadcaster ITV, Schofield, 61, could be seen visibly shaking as he insisted he was not a “groomer” after it emerged he met his future lover for the first time when he was just 15.
Commentator and broadcaster Piers Morgan, who used to host Good Morning Britain – the show that preceded This Morning in the schedule, said Schofield looked “on the edge”.
“Unless Phillip Schofield’s ex-lover contradicts his version of events to The Sun and the BBC, then it’s time to stop this relentless persecution of a guy who’s lost everything and looks right on the edge to me.”
The man who had the affair with Schofield has so far not spoken publicly with his version of events.
Unless Phillip Schofield’s ex-lover contradicts his version of events to @TheSun & BBC, then it’s time to stop this relentless persecution of a guy who’s lost everything and looks right on the edge to me. He doesn’t seem to have committed any crime, and he’s not a Govt minister.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 2, 2023
Schofield, who was married to his then wife when the affair happened, said his two daughters hadn’t left his side since the scandal erupted a fortnight ago. If they had “then I wouldn’t be here,” he said.
One of Schofield’s former co-hosts Alison Hammond broke down in tears on This Morning describing her friendship with him.
“I still love Phillip Schofield … however what he has done is wrong,” she said on Friday.
Schofield denies grooming boy
Schofield, who has been on British TV screens for nearly 40 years, resigned in May from the show he had presented for two decades and ITV after he admitted he lied to his management, the TV network, his legal team, friends and family about the affair.
In two filmed interviews on Thursday – one for The Sun and one for the BBC – Schofield confirmed he had met the person who would become his lover when he was an underage teen.
Schofield was visiting a drama school which the teen attended.
The pair began communicating on Twitter and Schofield helped get him an introduction to secure a job on This Morning.
But when asked by The Sun if he had groomed the then boy, Schofield was insistent he had not.
“I did not, I did not (groom him).
“There are accusations of all sorts of things. It never came across that way (an abuse of power) because we’d become mates.”
He said a sexual relationship only occurred when the man was 20.
To the BBC, he said communicating with younger people was not unusual.
“What’s wrong with talking to someone no matter what age they are, does that mean if you’re following anyone on Twitter that you don’t give advice?
“I’m best friends with the people who got me into television, and I’ve always believed in paying it forward, so I didn’t think about it.”
Dressing room
Schofield said there was “absolutely not” any sexual attraction between the pair until the staff member was working for This Morning and in his twenties.
“You hang out together, you know, chat to each other, that sort of stuff.
“In my dressing room one day, something happened,” he told the BBC.
“I kissed someone in the workplace, which led on to a little bit more.”
Schofield said the pair had sex five or six times.
“Rumours started, and then you lie. When you’ve had a workplace fling, you lie about it.
“I have massive guilt, and regret. I’ve made a mistake, I’ve had an affair at work.”
Schofield said his “greatest apology” was to his former lover.
“It has brought the greatest misery into his totally innocent life, his totally innocent family, and his totally innocent friends. It has brought the greatest grief to them.
“I’m sorry. And I will forever be sorry. I will die sorry. I am so deeply mortified.”
Suicidal thoughts
Talking to the BBC, Schofield said he’d had suicidal thoughts.
“Last week, if my daughters hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be here.
“They’ve been by my side every moment because they’re scared to let me out of their sight.”
Schofield’s hands were shaking throughout much of the interview.
“I have to talk about television in the past tense, which breaks my heart. I have lost everything.
“What am I going to do with my days? I see nothing ahead of me but blackness, and sadness, and regret, and remorse, and guilt. I did something very wrong, and then I lied about it consistently.”
On This Morning on Friday, after the two interviews had aired, one of the current co-hosts Alison Hammond, broke down in tears.
“I’m just finding it really painful because obviously I loved Phillip Schofield and it’s weird because I still love Phillip Schofield.
“However what he has done is wrong. He’s admitted it. He’s said sorry, but as a family we’re all really struggling to process everything. I never know what to say.”
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Hammond added: “My mum always said, use your bible as your Sat Nav in life Al. In the bible it says ‘he without sin can cast the first stone’”.
She also alluded to her former colleague’s current struggles.
“There is so much a man can take isn’t there? I don’t want any death in this situation.”
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