Prince’s Trust drops Phillip Schofield as ambassador over affair admission

The Prince’s Trust has decided to part ways with Phillip Schofield, 61 years old, as an ambassador after he confessed to having an affair with a young male colleague and lying to cover it up. The charity, established by the King, stated that continuing to work with the presenter was no longer suitable. Schofield announced his departure from ITV last Friday, following his resignation from ITV’s This Morning amidst rumours of a disagreement with co-host Holly Willoughby.

A spokesperson for the Prince’s Trust explained, “In light of Phillip’s recent admissions, we have agreed with him that it is no longer appropriate to work together.” The charity is supported by numerous celebrity ambassadors who assist with fundraising and promoting its initiatives.

John Nicolson, an MP on the Commons culture, media, and sports committee, expressed his eagerness to obtain clarification from ITV executives, who are expected to appear before the committee on Tuesday. The SNP shadow culture secretary and former BBC journalist shared his concerns over recent events surrounding the network.

Schofield issued an apology last Friday for repeatedly lying to conceal his relationship with the male employee, describing it as “unwise but not illegal.” ITV expressed its profound disappointment in Schofield’s deceitful actions and confirmed the severance of all connections with him. The network revealed that it had investigated rumours of a relationship between Schofield and a younger employee in 2020, but both parties had consistently denied it.

Additionally, talent agency YMU has dropped Schofield. ITV stated that Schofield’s confession “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.” As a result, Schofield will no longer host the British Soap Awards next month, nor will he be involved in a new prime-time series that the network had previously announced they were developing with him.