Alison Hammond has opened up about Phillip Schofield following his exit from ITV and This Morning over his affair scandal.
Phil quit ITV completely last May after admitting to having an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague.
Alison, who worked with Phil on This Morning, has now spoken about her feelings over Phil’s TV exit and admitted she “loved” him.
Alison Hammond and Phillip Schofield
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Alison spoke about taking over Holly Willoughby‘s job as main This Morning host following her exit in October 2023.
Insisting she didn’t want the role, Alison said: “Absolutely not. How could I? I live in Birmingham and do Bake Off and For the Love of Dogs. I never wanted that job. Last year we did extra because we were going through issues, but Cat [Deeley] and Ben [Shephard] will save that show.
“As for said ‘issues’… Listen. I don’t want to get into salacious gossip. All I need to say is I personally wish Phillip Schofield all the best. I loved Phillip Schofield. Full stop. But that’s the last thing I would want to speak about.”
Alison broke down in tears last year when Phil stepped back from his TV career after admitting to the affair.
Following his announcement, Phil did an interview with the BBC and admitted his daughters “saved” him.
He said at the time: “My girls saved my life. They haven’t left me for a moment. They’ve been by my side every moment because they’re scared to let me out of their sight. What is that like for daughters to have to go with something like that?
“If my girls hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be here, because I don’t see my future.”
Alison Hammond on This Morning
During an episode of This Morning after the episode aired, Alison was left in tears. She emotionally said: “Obviously, I loved Phillip Schofield. And it’s weird, because I still love Phillip Schofield. However, what he’s 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. But I remember what my mum said. My mum always said, use your bible as your SatNav in life. And in the bible, it says, ‘He without sin, cast the first stone.’ And I just don’t want to say anything bad because obviously I’m in conflict.
“There’s so much a man can take, and I don’t want any death in this situation.”
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