Phillip Schofield has admitted he had an 'on-off relationship with younger male colleague at This Morning'. The 61-year-old told a national newspaper: "That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over."
The statement, to the Daily Mail, read: "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."
It comes almost a week after he left the ITV show after 20 years. He has now confirmed he has quit the channel completely.
Phillip added: "I have decided to step down from the British Soap Awards, my last public commitment, and am resigning from ITV with immediate effect expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me."
He has also parted company with talent agency YMU, it was confirmed in a separate statement, the Mirror reports.
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"Honesty and integrity are core values for YMU’s whole business, defining everything we do. Talent management is a relationship based entirely on trust," YMU said.
"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's statement on YUM reads: "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."
Phillip also revealed to the Daily Mail he has quit ITV altogether, which means he won't be hosting the British Soap Awards next week. He added how he had 'not been truthful' about the relationship in 'an effort to protect [his] ex-colleague'.
Phillip said his recent departure from This Morning was 'unrelated' to that relationship, but had 'fuelled speculation and raised questions', which he said had been 'impacting' the person involved.
"When I chose to come out I did so entirely for my own wellbeing," he added. "Nobody 'forced' me out. Neither I nor anyone else, to my knowledge, has ever issued an injunction, super or otherwise, about my relationship with this colleague, he was never moved on or sacked by or because of me.
"In an effort to protect my ex-colleague I haven't been truthful about the relationship. But my recent, unrelated, departure from This Morning fuelled speculation and raised questions which have been impacting him, so for his sake it is important for me to be honest now.
"I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family.
"I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife."
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