Alison Hammond broke down in tears on Friday’s This Morning as she and co-host Dermot O’Leary addressed Phillip Schofield’s affair with a much younger colleague.
Schofield, 61, finally broke his silence in an emotional interview where he discussed meeting the younger man and starting an affair when he was of age.
In the opening moments of Friday’s ITV show, the presenters discussed their former colleague’s interview with BBC presenter Amol Rajan, which left Hammond visibly upset.
Hammond said through tears: “I was finding it really painful [to watch his BBC interview] because obviously, you know, I loved Phillip Schofield and it's weird because I still love Phillip Schofield.
“However what he's done is wrong, he's admitted it, he's said sorry. But as a family we're all really struggling to process everything. I never know what to say. But I remember what my mum used to say.
“My mum always said, “Use your Bible as a sat nav in life, Al.” And in the Bible it says, ‘he without sin, cast the first stone’. And I just don’t want to, I don’t want to say anything bad because obviously I’m in conflict, that’s how I feel.”
Following Hammond’s comments, O’Leary went on to explain how trying recent weeks have been on them as well as the entire This Morning crew.
He said: “This has been very difficult for us to cover this story as a friend and a colleague.”
Earlier this week, the pair were forced to refute claims that This Morning was a “toxic environment” and hit back at the reports, insisting that they “love” working on the ITV stalwart.
On Monday’s show, O’Leary said: “We know we have been in the news at the moment. But just from both of us, and the whole team here, the crew, the guys downstairs, we love making this show for all of you.”
To which, Hammond added: “We really do and that’s exactly what we’re going to do - we’re continuing to do that.”
The emotional moment come as Schofield said he is “utterly broken and ashamed” over the affair he had with a younger male colleague, but denies grooming the man.
The presenter 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.
Speaking to the BBC’s Amol Rajan, he told of the criticism he has faced since admitting the affair, saying: “Do you want me to die? Because that’s where I am.”
He said: “It is relentless, and it is day after day, after day after day.
“If you don’t think that that is going to have the most catastrophic effect on someone’s mind… do want me to die? Because that’s where I am. I have lost everything.”
In the wide ranging interview, Schofield described having to tell his daughters about the relationship. He was the “victim of hate” after the affair became public and now had “no future” left in television.
He said one “very prominent figure” had phoned him to offer support, telling Schofield: “I had never seen such homophobia- in my life.”
“If it was a heterosexual relationship it would be a nudge nudge wink wink”, he told the BBC. “If it’s a gay relationship then suddenly it raises eyebrows - it’s wrong.
“People do find each other attractive in different age groups, it does happen. It’s the mere fact that it’s so gigantic - I appreciate the workplace and the work history I get that - but the fact it’s so massive is predominantly homophobia.”
In his first interview since leaving ITV and This Morning, he categorically denied grooming the individual.
He told The Sun newspaper: “There are accusations of all sorts of things. It never came across that way because we’d become mates. I don’t know about that.
“But of course I understand that there will be a massive judgment, but bearing in mind, I have never exercised that anywhere else.”
Schofield also denied there had ever been a “feud” between him and his former co-presenter and “TV sister” Holly Willoughby, but admitted in the wake of his scandal, “I’ve lost my best friend.”
