Phillip Schofield's lover was just 15 when they met when the TV presenter was visiting his school, it has been revealed.
According to The Mail on Sunday, the TV veteran - who was then in his late 40s - helped him land the coveted role of a This Morning runner once the boy turned 18. A romantic relationship between the pair began some time after and included years of cover-ups, with Schofield apparently lying to the whole ITV team - including close friend and co-presenter Holly Willoughby.
The extra-marital affair finally came to light with the TV star sharing all in a bombshell statement and the reason why the cards came crashing down have finally been revealed. Phillip is said to have been "forced" to confirm the allegations he has dodged for years after his former lover unexpectedly confessed all to the lawyers he hired for him.
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Schofield had hired top law firm Mishcon de Reya to represent his unnamed ex, who is now in his mid 20s, "'presumably believing that he would keep quiet", the Mail on Sunday reports. According to the publication, Phil's unnamed former partner told his legal team that while he feared being exposed he was growing tired of lying about the relationship himself. The move led to Schofield having to admit what had really happened to his management company of 35 years, before going public with his statement.
Breaking her silence for the first time on the scandal, Holly Willoughby expressed her 'hurt' that Phil had kept the relationship from her too. The star said: "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."
ITV also released a statement on Saturday revealing they had investigated Phil over the same 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 in 2020.
The statement read: “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. 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.”
Schofield admitted the affair on Friday. He said: "The first thing I want to say is: 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.
"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."
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