Former This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield parted ways with ITV last the weekend after he admitted having an affair with a younger member of staff.
In a bombshell statement, which can be read here in full, Phillip said that the secret relationship with a male colleague was not "illegal, but unwise".
The 61-year-old confessed that he had "lied" to ITV bosses, as well as colleagues, friends, agents, the media, the public and "most importantly of all to my family".
Since the truth came to light, numerous claims have been made about the ex-couple's on-off romance that played out under so many people's noses.
Friendship formed
Phillip first met the male colleague he later had an affair with during a visit to the 15-year-old's school when he was in his 40s, it has been reported.
He is said to have been invited to give a talk at a theatre school in the North West of England by a friend, who also knew the drama student.
According to The Mail on Sunday, the meeting took place 12 years ago, with Phillip coming across as "enthusiastic, encouraging and generous with his time".
The schoolboy asked the This Morning presenter for a job, with Phil promising to arrange an interview at an appropriate time.
In the same year, 2011, Phil's future colleague made his first Twitter account, tweeting the presenter: "@Schofe hey phillip, thanks for following me, how are you?" There was no reply from Phil.
In 2014, the teenager made another Twitter account after turning 18. Phil tweeted him, saying: "Hey, welcome back! How's the acting going? Got the big break yet?"
The drama student appears to have replied, but his account is private. A few minutes later Phil posted another tweet saying: "all good, see you on the @itvthismorning sofa soon then."
Working together
Phil came through with his promise, and the teenager was invited to London for an interview.
He was hired as a production assistant for ITV when he turned 18 years old and visited This Morning where he met Holly and Phil for a tour of the studio.
A picture of the trio sitting on the sofa were shared as the runner thanked Phil for "teaching him so much".
He also interviewed Phil in 2015 about his time fronting the award-winning programme programme. In April 2016, the 20-year-old started working on This Morning.
In Phillip's statement, he said: "Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship."
Stepping on stage
Phillip's lover was spotted on stage with the presenter at the National Television Awards after the show won at the annual ceremony back in 2018.
As Holly made her speech, Phillip could be seen looking over his shoulder in the direction of the runner.
Spots on stage are said to only usually be reserved for on-screen talent and senior producers. A source has said the young runner's position on the NTA stage raised questions at the time.
"He was on stage at the NTAs. Usually that's something that only the presenters and most senior execs get to do," a former ITV Daytime production member told The Sun.
"Most crew are either at the back of the arena or even watching the ceremony at another bar. It was all very odd."
Affair denials
Despite speculation of a relationship between the two, ITV has insisted Phil was investigated over the allegations in 2020, but he denied the affair.
A spokesperson for ITV told the Mirror the broadcaster was, "not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour," when it looked into the matter three years ago.
"ITV can confirm that when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate in early 2020 ITV investigated," the statement read.
"Both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip's then agency YMU.
"In addition, ITV spoke to a number of people who worked on This Morning and were not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour.
"Phillip's statement yesterday reveals that he lied to people at ITV, from senior management to fellow presenters, to YMU, to the media and to others over this relationship."
Declaring his love
The Mail on Sunday reported that ITV's 2020 investigation was likely sparked by an incident that occurred at the start of the year - when Schofield's former partner was in attendance at an awards ceremony.
The young man is said to have stunned his ITV colleagues by, as one put it, "declaring his love for Phil in no uncertain terms".
Soon after, the young man was moved off This Morning and onto Loose Women. Phil has insisted he had nothing to do with the move.
A source at ITV told The Mail: "He and Phil were close and then he just went off to another programme. It was odd, the two men just stopped talking so much.
"Phil had been such a support to him, he was a really talented and hard-working guy. Some of the network's biggest names expressed their surprise at the time, he was very popular. He never really spoke about it, it was very mysterious."
Secret lunches and taxis
Sources claim that Phillip's bond with the younger man became a worry when the male in question became "glued" to Phillip's side.
They told The Sun: "It was odd - suddenly this new young staff member was glued to Phillip's side.
"It was made clear to all other staff he was Phillip's chosen aide - even though at times Phillip was quite abrasive towards him."
Sources also noted that Phil and the runner were seen huddled together at eateries close to ITV's studios.
It is claimed they also spent time together in a £1 million flat next to the This Morning studios after filming.
A source said they would enter and exit The Helios, an exclusive block within the studios, through the White City House hotel - to not arouse suspicion.
"Phil and the runner were often seen leaving at around 3pm, two hours after filming on This Morning had ended," a source told The Sun.
"They would use the entrance through the hotel and stay for an hour or two. Phillip's driver was always waiting for him outside.
"I asked one of the security guards why the driver was still here and he replied, 'Well Phillip and that young runner are up in the apartment'."
Nearly made public
YouTuber Jack Jones claimed he was asked by Phillip not to post a video where the social media star can be seen spraying a confetti cannon, with Phillip and the younger male in the background.
In a video shared on Twitter, Jack has claimed: "After I did the video, he begged me not to put the video up because he said, 'It could ruin my career' and I said, 'How could it ruin your carer?' And he said he didn't want to get into it."
A spokesperson for Phillip declined to comment when contacted by the Mirror.
Thursday sleepovers
Former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes claimed in a bombshell interview that Phil and the runner would have sleepovers in his home on Thursday nights.
Phillip would present the ITV show from Monday to Thursdays, with Eamonn and Ruth taking on the roles on Fridays up until 2020.
"I didn't know but I've subsequently found out from a very, very good source, because he [the runner] would arrive much earlier in the morning than I would for the programme, that he was delivered from Phillip's London home," Eamonn alleged to Dan Wootton on GB News.
He added: "Usually on a Friday morning, because Thursday was playtime when he and Phillip would hit the town and then he obviously stayed overnight.
"There are records to show that he was brought in the next day separately in cars paid for by ITV."
Dan asked: "So the management would have had to have known about that?"
"Unless Phillip paid the bills separately, but it would still have to go through the accounts office that they would have seen that and known that and this lad, lovely fellow, lovely fella, really good talented fella," he replied.
"Ruth and I particularly looked after him, he never once talked to us about any relationship, but we knew he was in a bad way and he was in a bad way fragilely."
Shock confession
Phillip is said to have been 'forced' to confirm the allegations he has dodged for years because his ex unexpectedly confessed all to the swish lawyers he hired for him.
Phil reportedly hired top law firm Mishcon de Reya to represent his former partner, who then told his new legal team that he was sick of lying about the relationship.
The move apparently prompted Phil to come clean to his management company of 35 years, before going public with his statement.
On Friday, Phillip said: "I am deeply sorry for having lied to them, and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on This Morning.
"I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning."
Holly broke her silence when she wrote on Instagram: "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 this was a lie. Holly."
