Phillip Schofield steps down from ITV after affair with "much younger male"

Possibly the biggest scandal to hit UK broadcast media in decades.

Phillip Schofield has admitted having an affair with a much younger male ITV employee while he was still married and revealed he is stepping down from all roles at the broadcaster.

His admission of the relationship, and that he had lied about it, came in a statement published in the Daily Mail shortly before his agents also revealed they were parting company with him with immediate effect.

Media reports suggest that Phillip Schofield worked with the child, who was a runner on This Morning, when they were a teenager. But that a relationship with the teenager only happened when the teenager became of age to have a consensual relationship.

Former employees at ITV, such as Eamonn Holmes, confirmed that this was common knowledge among the elites at ITV, but nothing was done. Including Holly Willoughby. In fact, some former employees claim that they did report it, but that they were fired instead.

https://twitter.com/EamonnHolmes/status/1662173477732769794

So there's a whole potential cover-up, and Schofield's agents also parted ways with him - suggesting that this story might just be the tip of the iceberg. Because if everything was completely above board, they would have had no reason to part ways.

It seems history is repeating itself again, of powerful people in the media getting away with things whilst everyone else looks on, or brushes it under the carpet.

Threadbans

RNFoxtrot

StevenToast

rapidash_2023

Citizen Six

Gusser09

ceadaoin

Ibunnae

Jack Daw

Eircom_sucks

recode the site

Robert Nairac

Beechwoodspark

Boggles

BorneTobyWilde

TheValeyard

The Morning Show on Apple+ may have wrote the script for this scandal

TheIrishGrover

One again, the ignorant equating homosexuality with paedophilia. Welcome to 1973

As a person who wears my "woke" credentials (belief in equal rights for all) with pride, you see me coming to his defence? You see me throwing him under the bus? Or do you see me waiting for facts before making my mind up on the situation.

A typical look at the rightwing hate mongering type using any excuse to "trigger" the "woke". Easy and pathetic

TheIrishGrover

And if he is then he deserves to be punished to the full extent of the law. Absolutely! You see people disagreeing? As someone who people might call "woke", if he is guilty, you won't hear me complain.

Wanderer78

....fcuking hell, this is what a scandal is nowadays, who gives a flying fcuk!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120646499#Comment_120646499

No, it's about people in positions of power abusing that position and the ensuing cover up.

His sexuality is irrelevant here.

BrianD3

Where was it suggested that the lad was 10/11 years old when they first met? Also, a 10/11 year old would not be a runner on a TV programme.

This tweet says that they met when the lad was about age 15 and implies that he became a runner at age 18. That is much more plausible.

https://twitter.com/BirdSeedBigot/status/1662233335299465228?s=20

RocketRaccoon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120646535#Comment_120646535

He was tweeting him in 2011 iirc making him 15ish.

seenitall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120646455#Comment_120646455

Yeah I just popped in to write the same! Except Phillip is no Steve Carrell, and Holly is no Jennifer Aniston :D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120646535#Comment_120646535

In 2011 when they first met, he would have been 14 years old.

NIMAN

The Golden boy is heading for a major fall.

Is this going to be another example of a guy being known about for years but everyone was afraid to speak out.

Everyone seems to be turning on him now. Which is a bad sign.

NIMAN

Plus there is the super injunction.

TheIrishGrover

Actually I do have one more comment. But mainly tangentially related.

I remember watching that sequel to "Life on Mars" (Ashes to Ashes. Didn't hook me as much as Life did but anyway. There was an episode where they were following a case about some well-loved TV celebrity who was always running in bright clothes raising money for charity and how it was uncovered that he was a paedophile. This was before the Saville case broke. But it was so obvious at the time that I remember watching it thinking "God, he's exactly like Jim'll Fix it. Imagine if...". Later of course it came across as if someone was trying to highlight this commonly-known "secret" of Saville

Zardoz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120646591#Comment_120646591

Its been known for years, his whole coming out thing in 2020 was a complete sham, was obvious at the time what was really going on.

I cant believe its taken 3 years for him to be finally exposed, there were rumours of injunctions and libel so papers probably held off.

NIMAN

You knew when his talent agent dropped him, he was done for.

You don't let go of one of the uks top stars unless there is bad news coming.

BrianD3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120646571#Comment_120646571

So he wasn't 10 or 11 years old as per your OP. The story is already potentially bad if the lad was 14 or 15 when they met, no need to exaggerate how young he was.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120646623#Comment_120646623

And from what I've been reading, my OP is correct.

They started working professionally when the child was 14-15, but they first met in person when the child was 11-years old.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120646627#Comment_120646627

No, see above.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120646579#Comment_120646579

Listen it’s well known what he did. Chose a different hill Grover. This isn’t about homosexuality and Schofield isn’t a victim.

niallpatrick

What he did in private with other consenting males is his business, cheating on his wife again his business. Cheating on his wife with other men still his and her business to deal with but don't come out as a victim to be made into a hero. Johnathon King is a pederast and he still claims his only crime was for being gay. You as an established name over the age of 40 hit on young males aged 14-18 you're a pederast a pervert. I'm 51 and could easily hit on upper 6th formers outside of school old enough to drink and have R-plates. Any idea what their dads would do to me? A pederast is a sexual predator as was Johnathon King and Micheal Barrymore, schofeild is just another 'Boo hoo poor me I'm a gay'

Not in the same league of depravity as Saville Rolf Harris and Glitter who were child molesters, Schofeild may prefer older male teens young men but it's still creepy as hell.

HalloweenJack

Maybe he doesn't want to be in the limelight or want to have his relationship dissected in the national media.

Regardless of how long Schofield waited, there is a lot that feels wrong about the story, especially given that it would have been going on in the post-Operation Yewtree era and during the MeToo one.

There was a clear imbalance in power and the long-term waiting and/or potential grooming involved are a concern, if true.

This story has quite a long way to go, though the constant referring in the media to a 'young man' is unsettling.

Had Schofield met this guy in a nightclub when he was over 18 would there be quite so much use of this phrase?

Seneca the Stoic

I remember him handing that list over to David Cameron. The older I get, the more I wonder about those that ‘protest too much’

StrawbsM

This website has collated all the info

https://limegoss.com/phillip-schofield-timeline-events/

mazdamiatamx5

Timeline of events:

https://limegoss.com/phillip-schofield-timeline-events/

I just love the fact that the theatre company Schofield sponsored is called the 2-Faced Theatre Co!

Riddle101

Wow, I had been reading the headlines about Schofiled's departure from This Morning for weeks and was wondering what was all the fuss between him and Holly Willoughby. Why did they have a falling out and why did it lead to him leaving the show? I thought it had something to do with his brother, but it looks like this might have been the real cause of it. It would certainly explain why Holly has distanced herself from him. That's if she knew about all of this beforehand.

TheIrishGrover

Oooofffff. That timeline's really rough. I will put my hand up and admit that I didn't know he was THAT young. Thought that was just innuendo... That is NOT good...

Seneca the Stoic

Even the most benign interpretation of his activities falls far short of the ‘holier than thou’ image he projects

StrawbsM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120647673#Comment_120647673

Schofield has had a super injunction in place from around the same time the lad was moved from being a runner on This Morning show. That injunction is due to expire soon

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120647632#Comment_120647632

So he was ready to sell the story of Schofield being gay,but not a mention of being groomed?

Also the young man was the one asking Schofield to follow him on twitter.

Sandor Clegane

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120647676#Comment_120647676

I never once thought he had a holier than thou image, it's always been known that he's difficult to work with and to me the man just oozes insincerity.

Seneca the Stoic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120647712#Comment_120647712

‘Holier than thou’ is somewhat synonymous with insincerity, in my mind at least

StrawbsM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120647692#Comment_120647692

No, Schofield had followed him without being asked to. The then 15 year old tweeted him saying thanks for the follow but Schofield never replied in a tweet. This happened twice on 2 different accounts.

Then the lad turned 18 and had another Twitter account and Schofield interacted publicly then.

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120646835#Comment_120646835

Read the timeline of him and this young fella it is creepy AF at the very least if not illegal.

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120647738#Comment_120647738

I mean he was a director of the company that the young man was involved in. Hardly a hangable offense to follow someone on twitter, particularly if there's a mutual interest.

No idea what's going on,but I'd be wary of condemning anyone without a shred of evidence.

ceadaoin.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120647882#Comment_120647882

None of that is speculation though. Those are all facts

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120647890#Comment_120647890

Well if he knew Schofield maybe he badgered him for the job and they started a relationship when working together.

See, alternative realities exist.

ceadaoin.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120647897#Comment_120647897

Lol talk about speculation. Dunno why people are going out of their way to excuse this behaviour. He's lost his job and been dropped by his agent because of it but yeah he did nothing wrong and the boy was asking for it 🙄

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120647911#Comment_120647911

If a Conservative MP in the UK behaved in exactly the same way with an underage girl, you can be 100% certain that the people making excuses for Schofield would be all over it.

Some things should be beyond politics. And the likes of James O'Brien and others coming up with bizarre deflections, when all that's needed is condemnation of what Schofield actually did.

walshb

Am I missing something here? Has Schofield committed any crime? Reading about grooming and paedophilia here..

batman75

It's very interesting that Schofield specifically mentioned that his relationship with the young man was legal. This tells me he is terrified that he might be done for sex with a minor He is 34 years older than this boy. That would mean when the boy turned 16, the legal age of consent in England Schofield was 50.

The general feeling is that Schofield's coming out back in 2020 was prompted by the pending publication of an article in the newspapers. Curiously enough their is a video on youtube from 1998 where Julian Clary not so subtly tells us that Schofield is gay at a performance where the latter is in the audience.

It seems inconceivable that Schofield can come back from this. Apparently Schofield being gay was common knowledge in the media world so the whole coming out thing was a sham one which Holly willingly participated in.

Astartes

We haven't heard from the young lad yet but I have a feeling the police have.

Dick phelan

His career is over even if he hasn't done anything technically illegal

JP Liz V1

The fact this is all coming now as the brother has been jailed makes it vile, he may not have been with the boy until of consent age but he covered for his brother and why all the lies, cover ups etc.,, ITV, Holly, This Morning etc., all should be blamed imho

He first met the boy when he was very young, in primary school by the looks of it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120648302#Comment_120648302

Apparently Schofield knew of the crimes his brother committed but kept it quiet, instead telling his brother not to do it again.

Footage has been unearthed of Schofield with the person in question. Almost 4 million views now.

https://twitter.com/jackjonestv/status/1661358821694926850

BorneTobyWilde

In Ireland with the different age of consent he'd be arrested, in UK he'll get a high 5 from his fellow ''Daddies''

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120648285#Comment_120648285

If you earn your living from being paid to be in the public eye, by definition, you need the public to keep you there. Your career can be over if the public don’t like what you do with your willy- it’s doesn’t have to be an illegal act.

Personally I think Phil is a complete creep- being a creep isn’t a crime but it’s hard for TV producers to make money out of creeps - it’s much easier to make money from people who aren’t creeps and liked by the public- so yeah his career is over because simply the vast vast majority of the public now believe he’s a creep.

Beasty

RNFoxtrot threadbanned

Holly Willoughby breaks her silence with a short statement released on Instagram.

Despite her words, many people are finding it hard to believe she didn't know what was going on, given how close she and Phil have been over the past decade.

gormdubhgorm

Has Gordon the Gofer been reached for comment yet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPmpDm0QbBM

In this clip Gordon were clearly being plied with Cactus juice.

Beasty

The following are also threadbanned for making potentially defamatory comment

StevenToast

rapidash_2023

Citizen Six

Gusser09

More may follow when I geta chance to go through the rest of the thread

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120646499#Comment_120646499

This has nothing to do with Schofield being gay. And if he tries to pull the “homophobia” card then it will only make him appear more odious.

It appears that he may have abused his very very significant power in his workplace in a relationship with a very young very very junior colleague.

Not only that but it appears he lied to his employer his colleagues his co presenter and his agent, repeatedly on this matter in order to save his own career. Add this to the fact that he treated his wife and children appallingly and he is where he is today.

Nothing to do with his sexual preferences. A predator is a predator in any guise.

JP Liz V1

They all knew and now are back tracking covering their own ass

Holly Willoughby statement - "It's taken time to process yesterday's news. When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not. It's been very hurtful to now find out that was a lie."