Phillip Schofield denies grooming amid affair scandal with younger colleague

Phillip Schofield, the former This Morning presenter, has denied being a “groomer” after admitting to having an affair with a younger male colleague. Schofield left ITV last week following the confirmation of the relationship and his dishonesty about it. In an interview with The Sun, he expressed deep regret for his actions and the impact on the other individual’s life.

In a conversation with BBC’s Amol Rajan, scheduled to be broadcast on Friday at 6am, the 61-year-old explained that he first met the man at a drama school event. The affair began when the man was 20 years old and working with Schofield at ITV. The TV star admitted to having a consensual moment with the man in his dressing room at ITV, but insisted it was not a love affair or a relationship.

Schofield stated that the encounters happened five or six times, and they believed no one knew about them. He acknowledged his unprofessional behaviour and offered no excuses, apologising to his former lover and their family and friends for the turmoil caused.

ITV’s handling of the situation has been scrutinised, with questions raised about how much the bosses knew about the affair and the extent of their investigation. ITV’s chief executive, Dame Carolyn McCall, has been asked to attend the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on June 14 to address the broadcaster’s approach to safeguarding in light of the controversy.

ITV has commissioned an external review, led by a barrister, to determine the facts surrounding the network’s investigation into the affair rumours in 2020.