Featured Image Credit: ITV
Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity, Phillip Schofield, This Morning
Katherine Sidnell
Phillip Schofield’s former agents have released a statement following the 61-year-old’s admission of an affair with a 'younger male colleague'.
After heavy speculation surrounding his sudden exit from This Morning last week, the former presenter has now admitted that he’d had an affair with a younger male colleague whilst working on the show.
During a lengthy statement, Schofield insisted that the relationship had been ‘unwise but not illegal’.
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Exclusively written to the Daily Mail, Schofield’s bombshell statement did not name the colleague but did speak about their affair.
“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,” he confessed.
“I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.”
He then acknowledged the drama around his dramatic exit from the ITV morning show, stating: “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 a just a friendship.”
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Confirming that their relationship was now over, the former TV personality insisted that he had not been ‘forced’ to make the disclosure.
The former early morning host also asked that his colleague's privacy be respected as 'they had done nothing wrong'.
During the lengthy statement, Schofield also apologised to his former colleagues and loved ones.
He told the publication: “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.”
At the time of his affair, Schofield was married to his wife Stephanie Lowe and spoke about her, saying: “I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife...”
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The 61-year-old also then announced that he would be resigning from ITV and the British Soap Awards, following this ‘bad judgement’.
As the fallout from his revelation continues, his former representatives, YMU Group, have since announced that they have parted ways with the broadcaster.
Their CEO, Mary Bekhait, also made a statement on behalf of the agency, saying: “Honesty and integrity are core values for YMU's whole business, defining everything we do. Talent management is a relationship based entirely on trust.”
She added: “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.”
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"As a result, on Thursday we agreed to part company with Phillip, with immediate effect."
LADbible has attempted to contact reps for Schofield for comment.