Former This Morning star Phillip Schofield has had a huge fall from grace. The 61-year-old has gone from a beloved TV presenter to losing everything in the space of a few weeks.
Here’s a timeline of Phillip’s downfall – from his dramatic coming out interview to his affair admission and subsequent ITV exit…
February 2020 – Phillip Schofield comes out on This Morning
Back in February 2020, Phillip shocked the world by revealing he is gay. The presenter, who had been married to his wife, Stephanie Lowe, for 27 years, made the confession prior to an emotional interview on This Morning.
“You never know what’s going on in someone’s seemingly perfect life, what issues they are struggling with, or the state of their wellbeing – and so you won’t know what has been consuming me for the last few years,” he said in a statement.
“With the strength and support of my wife and my daughters, I have been coming to terms with the fact that I am gay,” he then said.
Supported by Holly Willoughby, Eamonn Holmes, and Ruth Langsford, Phillip spoke about being coming out.
March/April 2020 – Phil moves out of the family home
In April 2020, it is reported by The Sun that Phillip had moved out of his family home. The star had lived in a pad worth £2m in Oxfordshire with his wife and two daughters.
However, after coming out as gay, he moved out. He reportedly moved into a flat in Central London.
“He has a place in central London. It’s not as big but it’s the beginning of a new life for him,” a source told the publication at the time.
July 2021 – Phillip goes on holiday with family
Despite their split, Phillip and Stephanie remained good friends. This was proven in July 2021 when they reunited for their daughter Mollie’s 28th birthday.
Phillip took to social media at the time to share a snap of himself and his family at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
“Amazing long weekend celebrating @mollyschofe’s birthday. Hope you had a wonderful time gorgeous,” he captioned the snap.
September 2022 – Queuegate
Over a year later, Phillip was dragged into the Queuegate controversy along with Holly Willougby.
Rather than queueing up with other members of the public to see the Queen lying in state, Phillip and Holly hopped into the VIP line to be fast-tracked to see Her Majesty. Other celebrities, like David Beckham and Susanna Reid, queued for 12 hours or more to see the Queen lying in state.
The backlash was enormous. 80,000 people signed a petition calling for the duo to be sacked from This Morning. According to reports, the uproar damaged Holly and Phil’s friendship…
March/April 2023 – Timothy Schofield stands trial
Six months later, it emerged that Phillip’s brother was to stand trial for sexually abusing a teenager.
In a statement read out in court, Phillip claimed that his brother had confessed his crimes to him back in 2021. He said he’d told Timothy to “never do it again”.
Reports claim that Phillip had kept his brothers crime and trial secret from Holly – leaving her “blindsided” when it became public knowledge.
April/May 2023 – Tension between Phillip Schofield and Holly on This Morning
Phillip and Holly weren’t seen on screen together for a month. When they returned, rumours were abound that the pair had fallen out.
According to reports, the duo were no longer speaking off-camera. There were claims that their relationship had cooled.
Viewers were detecting tension on the set of This Morning – with many speculating on how much longer this could go on for.
On May 19, Phillip’s brother was found guilty of sexually abusing the teenager. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
May 2023 – Phillip Schofield quits This Morning
On Saturday, May 20, Phillip announced that he was stepping down from his role on This Morning with immediate effect.
“I have always been proud to cover fascinating stories on This Morning. But recently, This Morning itself has become the story,” he said in a statement. ”
He then said: “I understand that ITV has decided the current situation can’t go on, and I want to do what I can to protect the show that I love.
“So I have agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect, in the hope that the show can move forward to a bright future.”
Holly thanked Phillip for his work on the show and said the sofa wouldn’t “feel the same without him”. She didn’t host the following week.
Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary then fronted a bizarre, 30-second tribute to Phillip before moving on with the show.
May 2023 – Phillip confesses to having an affair
Less than a week later, Phillip confessed to having had an affair with a younger male colleague while working on This Morning. He admitted to having lied about it – and subsequently quit ITV.
“I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public, and most importantly of all to my family. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife,” he said in a statement.
He was then dropped by his management.
June 2023 – BBC interview
Today (Friday, June 2) a new interview with Phillip was uploaded to BBC iPlayer. In the interview, Phillip talks about the aftermath of his scandal. The 61-year-old confessed that he is “broken” after confessing to the affair.
“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?” he said.
“If my girls hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be here, because I don’t see my future,” he then said.
He also admitted that his friendship with Holly is over too. “I’ve lost my best friend. I let her down,” he said.
Read more: Phillip Schofield insists he still has a ‘wonderful marriage’ as he defiantly flashes wedding band
This Morning airs on weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX.
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