Former ITV This Morning host Phillip Schofield has broken his silence three years after the scandal that ended his long-running career. The 64-year-old left ITV in May 2023 following controversy over an 'unwise, but not illegal' affair with a younger colleague.
Schofield stepped down from his job and also lost his long-time friend Holly Willoughby, who appeared to cut him out of her life. He has since stayed away from the limelight but insists he is 'content' with his new life.
Quiet Life
The former Dancing on Ice host told the Daily Mail in an email that he has grown accustomed to his 'calm and drama free' life. He said: 'I decided a while ago that I just wanted a quiet life with family, friends I can trust and my dog.'
Admitting he keeps his 'head down' now, Schofield added: 'The past few years were, as you know, utterly brutal on so many levels and I came to terms with the fact that there was no way back.'
Family Fallout
Schofield married wife Stephanie in 1993 and came out as gay on This Morning in 2020. Speaking to The Sun after the affair news broke, he said he had previously denied rumours to Stephanie. He said: 'She got off a plane and I phoned her up and texted saying "I need to talk to you". She called back and I told her. She was very, very angry.'
The pair separated in February 2020 but remained married. His daughters, Molly, 32, and Ruby, 29, have stood by him throughout. Speaking on Channel 5 programme Phillip Schofield: Cast Away, Molly said: 'When my dad came out, it was... very hard for me, it was very hard for the entire family - mainly my mum, of course - everything was turned upside down. But we talked through it, and over time it’s got easier. You know, my mum, my sister [Ruby], we’re all the same, we will always continue to support him no matter what.'
PR Perspective
Speaking to the Mirror, PR expert Mayah Riaz said: 'Phillip Schofield’s situation is complicated as it still makes people feel a bit uncomfortable because it sits in that grey area between a genuine wrongdoing and a very public unravelling.' Schofield described Holly Willoughby as 'collateral damage' when the news broke, adding: 'She was placed in an impossible position where any reaction was going to be criticised. Silence looked complicit, speaking out looked disloyal. That is a PR nightmare no one trains you for.'
