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

JP Liz V1

“I assume somebody, somewhere, assumed something was going on, correctly, and didn’t say anything."

From Phil's own interview

walshb

In today’s ridiculously OTT cancel/offended world, people who are in spots of bother nearly have to be too contrite. If this was years ago you can bet PS would have simply said eff off, nothing to see here.

Quazzie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120715201#Comment_120715201

Whilst I agree that the (western) world in general is too OTT about being offended, I think anyone caught grooming a young man should be sacked from their job, even more so if it's in the public sphere.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120715967#Comment_120715967

Grooming a young man? Don’t you mean grooming a child?

and there is no allegation/evidence (that we know of) that this man was groomed when he was a child/minor. He was 20/21 (an adult) when him and PS had a consensual “relationship/fling” or whatever.

you keep pushing this agenda. Like you really want it to be true.

smella the daily mail off ya!😛

reclose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120713187#Comment_120713187

Ok so consensual sex with a subordinate and lying about it should mean you never work in a similar role again.

Is there any precedent for this? I want to understand why this is your expectation.

Are you saying that it’s not possible that Philip used the phrase “never happen again” while also believing the boy was 16?

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120716025#Comment_120716025

The entertainment industry landscape has changed dramatically in recent years with MeToo type scandals. New precedents are being established.

Do you think it is possible he said it believing the boy may have been under 16?

reclose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120716044#Comment_120716044

So you don’t answer either questions. This leads me to believe you are only interested in being right rather than having a healthy debate with an open mind.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120716118#Comment_120716118

Hold on. You have asked me multiple questions on this thread to which I have replied. I ask you a single question and you dont answer it. Yet something something open debate? Yes it is not an open debate but thats on you.

Only one side asking questions is no basis for an 'open debate'.

reclose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120716132#Comment_120716132

Of course it’s possible that Philip was told the boy was younger. None of us know though and neither statement reflects this.

Can you answer those other questions now?

JP Liz V1

Asked in the earlier BBC interview whether the fact an internal ITV investigation failed to uncover the affair meant it was a sham, Schofield replied: “If you have two people who are lying, then what can you do?”

But he acknowledged it was reasonable for people to surmise that ITV executives might have been aware of the affair since the pair were known to be close, and added that he intended to comply with a barrister’s external review of the facts.

Asked why anyone should believe him now, Schofield said: “Only my friends and family need to worry about that. You don’t have to worry about what I say any more.”

Asked what he would like to say to the man he had the affair with, Schofield said: “I’d say to everyone that I lied to, I am desperately sorry, but principally I’d like to apologise to him. I have caused you so much pain and I’ll never forgive myself.”

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/jun/02/phillip-schofield-says-his-career-over-this-morning-bbc

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120714342#Comment_120714342

Apparently Ruth whatshername went to ITV bosses and both she and her husband were booted off This Morning.

It is possible that ITV executives didn't want to rock the boat and stuck their fingers in their ears, and that they have no choice but to lie about it now.

This is all moot though unless there is any evidence of wrong doing. If Philip groomed the other man from a young age there was wrong doing, but that hasn't been proven yet.

Quazzie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120715985#Comment_120715985

Like I said earlier. It's scary how many people don't understand what grooming is.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120716571#Comment_120716571

What’s scarier is throwing about this groomer label without evidence

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120716524#Comment_120716524

Apparently Ruth whatshername went to ITV bosses and both she and her husband were booted off This Morning.

Ruth and Eamon?

That's strange because Eamon has stated he was booted because of his comments about 5G spreading Covid.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52270736

https://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/celebrity-news/eamonn-holmes-unveils-single-sentence-30122283

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120716209#Comment_120716209

Asked and answered already multiple times.

You asked me that I thought should be the outcome for his career. I answered - not in a position where he can engage in sexual misconduct like this in future. Where he in a position of responsibility wrt hiring and assigning and as a patron of juvenile arts or charitable groups. That doesn't necessarily mean the end of a career in the media in other roles. Although in practice, his actions may result in that.

There are questions about what he knew of his brother abusing a child. 

His statement in court doesn't put him in the clear. To me they are not the words of someone sure that everything was legit. The possibility that the boy was underage informed the use of the word 'never'.  

In terms of his media career, falling out with his co-star by not warning her of the upcoming trial of his brother.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65658938

There's more than enough scandal there to sink a high profile media career - justifiably so.

My views on the topics are clear, and repeated questionings of this sort going over the same ground will not be engaged in further.

JP Liz V1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120716524#Comment_120716524

Yes Eamonn said his missus Ruth complained to ITV and This Morning about Phil's behaviour

I don't think Ruth who is on Loose Women had made any comment so far

It's strange that Loose Women who comment on everything haven't

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120717586#Comment_120717586

There's more than enough scandal there to sink a high profile media career - justifiably so

So basically he had a fling with a work colleague.

https://startups.co.uk/news/uk-office-romance-survey/

We would have to cancel 25% of the workforce.

If only he put an infant child into hospital píssed out of his head he would have got a new contract.

Fine bloody margins. 🤷‍♀️

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120718601#Comment_120718601

Deliberate misrepresentation.

He didn't just have a 'fling' did he?

Have 25% of the workforce resigned after the affairs? Well.

You know well they did not because you know well the situations are not comparable.

So then why did Schofield resign if he did nothing wrong?

Beasty

Boggles threadbanned

reclose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120717586#Comment_120717586

so you don’t want to answer either of the below questions?

Ok so consensual sex with a subordinate and lying about it should mean you never work in a similar role again. 

Is there any precedent for this? I want to understand why this is your expectation. 

Are you saying that it’s not possible that Philip used the phrase “never happen again” while also believing the boy was 16?

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120719480#Comment_120719480

I amn't going to answer the same question over and over again. But to clarify as you are seeking deeper understanding:

You asked me what I thought should be the outcome. My response comes from first principles of what it should be. So what was done in the past is not relevant to that. It seems an entirely reasonable view to me that someone who has abused a position of professional responsibility should not be given such opportunity again - and that applies to sexual misconduct, or financial misconduct or bullying or say directorship after reckless trading.

It time for new precedents if none can be found in the past.

And given the entertainment industry scandals wrt MeToo and the importance of transparency ie that things must be not only above board but seen to be above board - which is why workplace relationships with difference in power and age come under such scrutiny. That is not to declare Schofields conduct as the same as those scandals. But it is why it is legitimate for employers to require these to be notified.

Personally given that we know Philip Schofield as being involved sexually with much younger same sex partner (as far as is known above age of consent) I dont believe he would use the word never to his brother for such behaviour if it ws clear the other party was 16 / legal. Stop and sort your head out - yes.

The best way I can phrase is below.

I would prefix this by saying in the court statement as covered hy BBC, Sky News etc it is not explicitly stated in the testimony that the boy was 16 during the conversation between PS and his brother.

So to me they are not the words of someone sure that everything was legally legit. The possibility that the boy was underage informed the use of the word 'never'.  

JP Liz V1

Even In The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/14/world/europe/uk-phillip-schofield-this-morning.html

Agent Coulson

Jonathan Ross was an experienced 26 year old TV personality when he meet a 16 year old wantable reporter and in his own words became a father figure to her.

They married when she turned 18 and have been happliy married since and have 3 children.

If a 26 year old TV host was to father figure a 16 year old in today's world how would social media deal with it?

cap.in.hand.

Penny bunny put up a spitting image clip on her YouTube channel about Philip Schofield and Jason Donovan and the gay rumours..it's absolutely hilarious ....you can also just key in Philip Schofield and Jason Donovan on spitting image on Google and that clip comes up.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120718627#Comment_120718627

People today are so afraid of upsetting people that they over-compensate to appease to the cancel culture offended mob mentality that is pervasive in today’s society

just look at latest Howard Donald (take that) news. The chap apologising for absolutely nothing because of the fear of cancel culture and insincere offense.

JP Liz V1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120727448#Comment_120727448

Phil was way older when he first meet "X" as a child minor, I do wonder why Phil never helped any other of the theatre school group or why none are coming out in his defence

Apparently Amanda Holden's husband resigned from the media company that repped Phil not long before the "lying" came out

Beasty

Potentially defamatory comments and replies deleted

BorneTobyWilde threadbanned

Sunny Disposition

https://www.independent.ie/style/celebrity/celebrity-news/elton-john-furore-over-phillip-schofield-affair-totally-homophobic/a1774454266.html

I told ye this already.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120740024#Comment_120740024

Schofield shouldn't have resigned then? He should sue for constructive dismissal if he did nothing wrong.

Elton isn't addressing what actually happened here... “If it was a straight guy in a fling with a young woman, it wouldn’t even make the papers.”

That's not why Schofield resigned. He didn't just have a fling with a "young man", but with a junior colleague he was pivotal in getting hired. And then denied there was anything going on to his employers.

Sunny Disposition

It's homophobic, that's the long and the short of it.