Schofield reveals affair details, suicidal thoughts in interviews

Phillip Schofield, the former TV presenter, has spoken out in two interviews after news surfaced of his relationship with a younger male colleague during his time on This Morning. ITV has initiated an external review to investigate the situation, as Schofield had not disclosed the relationship to his employers, colleagues, or wife. In the interviews, Schofield revealed that he has experienced suicidal thoughts since the scandal and compared his situation to that of Caroline Flack before her death.

Schofield, 61 years old, met the younger man, who is 30 years his junior, when the latter was 15 years old. They began communicating on Twitter after following each other. Schofield stated that there was no hint of sexual attraction when they first met. The first romantic encounter between the two occurred in Schofield’s dressing room when the younger man was 20 years old. Schofield denied grooming him and insisted that there was no abuse of power in the relationship.

The former presenter also addressed rumours that the younger man was driven between Schofield’s London home and the This Morning studios in taxis paid for by ITV. Schofield claimed the man only visited his flat once and did not stay overnight.

Schofield admitted to lying about the relationship to protect the younger man’s privacy. He also denied making a deal with a newspaper in 2019 to hide the affair. Schofield offered his “greatest apology” to his former lover and confirmed that he paid for the man’s lawyers to work independently on his behalf.

In the interviews, Schofield also expressed his regrets about his career and the impact of the scandal on his personal life. He suggested that homophobia might be a contributing factor to the backlash he has faced since the affair was confirmed.