Phillip Schofield has broken his silence on his This Morning exit and admits he's 'broken and ashamed'.
The disgraced TV presenter has spoken out about his affair with an unnamed This Morning runner as he issues the man - who is not being named - an apology. Phillip, 61, has spoken out on the rumours surrounding the relationship and his ITV exit and stresses he did not groom his former lover.
Speaking on the internet speculation and rumours swirling, Phillip told The Sun: “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."
The former Dancing On Ice presenter said that while he met the man when he was a teenager, their relationship didn't turn romantic until he had turned 20-years-old. Phillip acknowledged that photos of the pair circulating online looked "shocking", he stressed that he did not groom his former boyfriend.
The affair took place while Phillip was still married to wife Stephanie Lowe and before he came out publicly as gay as he issued an apology to his ex. He said elsewhere in the interview: “I think my greatest apology must go to him.
“It has brought the greatest misery into his totally innocent life, his totally innocent family, his totally innocent friends. It has brought the greatest grief to them."
He continued: “I haven’t spoken to him since this s*** show kicked off, but when this was all beginning to get out of control, I paid for his lawyers to independently work on his behalf.
“I am deeply sorry and I apologise to him because I should have known better. I should have acted the way I have always acted. I should not have done it.
“I’m sorry. And I will forever be sorry. I will die sorry. I am so deeply mortified.”
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