Former This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield has admitted he had an affair with a younger ITV member of staff.
Phillip has since been dropped by his talent agency YMU and ITV after the affair, which was not illegal, reportedly came to light. The Mirror can confirm YMU and Phillip parted ways on Thursday and have contacted representatives for comment.
YMU Entertainment and Phillip have released separate statements about 'parting company' with 'immediate effect', with YMU stating: “Honesty and integrity are core values for YMU’s whole business, defining everything we do. Talent management is a relationship based entirely on trust.
“This week, we have learned important new information about our client Phillip Schofield. These facts contradicted what Phillip had previously told YMU, as well as the external advisors we had brought in to support him.
“As a result, on Thursday we agreed to part company with Phillip, with immediate effect.”
Phillip said: “It is with the most profound regret that after 35 years of being faultlessly managed by YMU I have agreed to step down from their representation with immediate effect," he said.
In a later statement, which Phillip shared with the Daily Mail, he admitted to having an affair with a younger ITV employee.
He said: “I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning. 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. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over.“
Phillip also revealed he has quit ITV altogether, which means he won't be hosting the British Soap Awards next week.
In the lengthy statement, Phillip said he was "deeply sorry" to the publication and his lawyers for "misleading" them on a story they wanted to publish earlier this week.
He added how he had "not been truthful" about the relationship in "an effort to protect my ex-colleague".
Phillip insisted his recent departure from This Morning was "unrelated" but had "fuelled speculation and raised questions", which he says have been "impacting" his ex.
He added: "For his sake it is important for me to be honest now".
The 61-year-old announced his departure from This Morning over the weekend, 21 years after he first took his spot on the famous sofa alongside Holly Willoughby, 42, but the two's relationship has been strained in recent months.
Sources previously claimed that the pair were "separate entities" and their friendship outside of their presenting partnership had "cooled".
It led to Phil issuing a bombshell statement where he insisted they were still great friends but it had been a tough few weeks for them with Phil's brother's court case.
Holly and ITV were said to have been “blindsided” by the sudden statement after Phillip made the decision to step down from the programme and said he wanted to “protect the show that I love.”
At the time, Holly also issued a statement where she said the sofa wouldn't be the same without Phil.
"It’s been over 13 great years presenting This Morning with Phil and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for all of his knowledge, his experience and his humour. The sofa won’t feel the same without him," she shared.
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