Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Paul Britton

Piers Morgan and celebs react as Phillip Schofield quits ITV and admits affair

Piers Morgan and other celebrities have reacted to the news Phillip Schofield has quit ITV and admitted to an affair with a younger male colleague at This Morning.

The 61-year-old presenter admitted to an 'on-off relationship', describing it in a statement issued to a national newspaper tonight as 'unwise, but not illegal'. Piers has since shared the news, tweeting: "Blimey..." with a shocked emoji as he shared the story with his followers.

Meanwhile, Vanessa Feltz who was live on GB News with guest, Black Cat Radio presenter and media commentator Nigel Pauley when the news broke was forced to respond live on air, reports The Mirror.

READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community

"If an agent drops someone and uses the words honesty and integrity, that's not good," Nigel said.

Vanessa, meanwhile, kept composed throughout the chat and nodded her head as her guest discussed the contents of the statement.

Former This Morning presenter Rylan Clark didn't respond to the news but took to Instagram shortly after with a cryptic snap as he held his fingers up in a peace sign while flashing a huge smile.

ITV News wrote: "Phillip Schofield has tonight quit ITV after it emerged that he lied about an affair whilst he was still married."

ITV's This Morning (ITV)

Meanwhile, This Morning's former resident doctor Dr Ranj Singh posted: "A storm is coming..."

Schofield, meanwhile, has been dropped by his talent agency after admitting he lied about the relationship. The agency, YMU, said it had learned “important new information” about the presenter that “contradicted” what he had previously told them.

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.

Schofield 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."

In a blistering statement Mary Bekhait, Group CEO of YMU Group said: "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."

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.