Phillip Schofield is currently in Cornwall nursing his mother Pat after she was hospitalised over the weekend for a mystery illness.
The 87-year-old lady, who lives in Newquay, has been through the mill more than most in recent years. One son came out on national television, then covered up an affair with a much younger colleague. The other was convicted of child sex offences and sentenced to a jail term.
It would be a lot for anyone to cope with, let alone a woman heading towards her nineties. Phillip has done entirely the right thing is staying by his mother’s side as she battles her way back to health. But who is there for him? It’s a time when you need your best friend. And I really hope Holly Willoughby can see past her hurt and reach out to support him.
Phillip Schofield needs support as he nurses his mother
No matter what your views on what went down, at the heart of things now is a man who needs support as he cares for his elderly mother. Phillip is extremely close to Pat. She was the one he turned to when he stepped down from ITV and he was there holding her hand when Timothy Schofield was sentenced.
But who’s there for Phillip, telling him everything will be okay, and that they’re there if he needs support? Surely everyone deserves that. I expect his wife Steph has been on hand. After all, Pat is still her mother-in-law and grandmother to the couple’s two grown-up daughters.
Ruby and Molly, too, were a great support to Phillip when news of his affair came out, staying with their dad to make sure he didn’t harm himself.
Friction between friends can zap a lot of your energy, and sometimes you do have to put yourself first for the sake of your own sanity.
But there are times when you really just need your best friend. Someone who’s been there with you through thick and thin. Someone who’ll never judge. And someone who will stand by your side when you need them most. And this is why I think Holly needs to move past the recent scandal and remember just what it was that made her love Phillip in the first place – and do her best to recapture that feeling.
She seems like a forgiving, loving person – so I hope she’s composing a text message to him as I type.
Holly should put her hurt aside
Yes, she’s hurt, but you can bet your bottom dollar that he’s hurting more. Yes, it may damage her career, but is that really a consideration if you’ve been best friends with someone for the past 20 years? Surely they come first, especially when you doubtless already have millions in the bank and your position on TV seems pretty secure?
We’ve all been there. I’ve been incredibly hurt by friends over the years and I know that some things are just too hard to come to terms with. Friction between friends can zap a lot of your energy, and sometimes you do have to put yourself first for the sake of your own sanity.
But, in this instance, I think Phillip needs Holly. Yes, he has betrayed her, but he’s apologised, and he seems sorry for the hurt he’s caused. If the pair really were as close as they seemed over the years then there’s no one better to comfort Phillip in his hour of need as Holly.
I just hope that she can see past her hurt and find it in her heart to reconnect with her old pal.
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