A 'mortified' Phillip Schofield has claimed that he did 'not groom' the younger colleague at This Morning in his first interview since the scandal emerged.
The former ITV presenter spoke out in a bid to address the rumours and says he 'didn't lie to protect my career' but to protect the man he had an affair with as he admitted he was 'mortified'.
The presenter, 61, admitted to The Sun that he felt 'massive guilt' over the affair and apologised to his former lover.
READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community
Phillip said: "I did not, I did not (groom him). There are accusations of all sorts of things. It never came across that way (an abuse of power) 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. I assume somebody, somewhere, assumed something was going on, correctly, and didn’t say anything."
Phillip referenced a photograph of the man he later had an affair with at a drama school that the former This Morning presenter had visited.
He claimed to have not spoken to the former colleague since stepping down from This Morning but admitted to paying for his lawyers to 'to independently work on his behalf'.
In the interview, Phillip went on to insist his six-month relationship with the member of staff started when the man was 20 and admitted he is still friends with his former colleague.
The former This Morning host also apologised to Holly Willoughby for breaking-up their TV partnership and friendship as he confirmed the ex-presenting-duo no longer speak. "I’m sorry. And I will forever be sorry. I will die sorry. I am so deeply mortified," he added.
Phillip presented his final episode of This Morning on Thursday, May 18, with ITV confirming his immediate exit just two days later. He was pictured for the first time since the affair bombshell alongside his daughter.
On Thursday, ITV said it would carry out an external review of Schofield's exit from This Morning, as the channel issued a new statement on the latest developments.
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
- Boy, 15, arrested for murder after man, 21, killed in Greater Manchester
- Man who posed as £300-a-time 'exam cheat for hire' to illegally sit driving theory tests JAILED
- Police storm Ryanair flight at Manchester Airport after man caught SMOKING in plane toilet
- 'People were climbing on top of cars' - sports club's beer festival plans scuppered by angry neighbours
- Driver who 'wasn't concentrating' killed boy, 6, in horror crash, trial hears
