‘Broken and ashamed’ Phillip Schofield says he did not groom younger colleague | Ents & Arts News

Phillip Schofield has said he feels “utterly broken and ashamed” following a scandal over an affair with a younger male colleague – but insisted he did not groom him.

Schofield, 61, resigned from ITV last week and was dropped by his talent agency YMU after admitting to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague.

In an interview with The Sun, he insisted “did not” groom the man, as he told the paper he will “die sorry” and said his “greatest apology” over the fallout from the affair was to his former lover.

The interview comes after ITV announced it had launched an external review to establish the facts around the relationship between presenter Schofield and his This Morning colleague.

Schofield told the paper: “I did not, I did not (groom him).

He added: “I am deeply sorry and I apologise to him because I should have known better. I should have acted the way I have always acted. I should not have done it.”

“I’m sorry. And I will forever be sorry. I will die sorry. I am so deeply mortified.”

The affair took place before Schofield publicly came out as gay, and while he was still married to his wife Stephanie Lowe.

Read more:
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Phillip Schofield: Timeline of ITV departure after colleague affair and Holly Willoughby ‘rift’
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Schofield, who married his wife Stephanie in 1993, came out as gay on This Morning in 2020.

He told the paper his wife was “very, very angry” after he confessed to her about his affair with a younger ITV colleague and said he had previously denied rumours about the affair to her when she had asked.

He said: “She got off a plane and I phoned her up and texted saying, ‘I need to talk to you’.

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ITV boss asked to appear before MPs

“She called back and I told her. She was very, very angry.”

His exit from This Morning came after weeks of rumours of a rift between him and his co-presenter Holly Willoughby.

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