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Daily Record
Daily Record
Entertainment
Emma Gritt & Kirsten McStay

Jeremy Clarkson defends Phillip Schofield as he slams ITV and 'social media witch-hunt'

Jeremy Clarkson has had his say on the Philip Schofield scandal and defended him from what he regards as a "witch hunt".

The TV star, 63, reflected on the outcry surrounding Phillip's relationship with a much younger man - who he met when he was 15 but didn't start a relationship with until he was in his 20s.

He wrote: "Phil is no longer the genial host of some morning-time televisual cappuccino froth. According to the people's court of social media, he's like his brother, a nonce. Actually, he's worse than that: he's a queue-jumping nonce. And we don't want to see his disgusting face ever again.

"I’ve never seen a witch-hunt like it, and what baffles me most of all is that, as things stand, no crime has been committed. I don’t know him at all well and have no skin in the game, but it seems to me he is only guilty of being what he said he was: gay."

Last month, Phillip's brother, Timothy Schofield was sentenced to 12 years for a slew of child sex offences including abusing a teenage boy he groomed.

The former Top Gear star said that he thinks that the reaction to Phil having an affair with a man decades his junior is hypocritical - especially as over the past few weeks we've heard of octogenarian actors Al Pacino, 83, and Robert DeNiro - who turns 80 in August - becoming dads again.

Jeremy Clarkson has defended Philip Schofield (Getty Images)

In his Sunday Times column, he also took aim at ITV for trying to "rid the screen of all middle-aged men" but "seriously doubted" CEO Carolyn McCall had any prior knowledge of the former This Morning star's affair.

Former This Morning star Eamonn Holmes claimed there had been a "cover-up" at ITV but The Grand Tour star said: "I seriously doubt that. [Carolyn McCall] has got the share price to worry about, and the launch of the new ITVX service, and she's also engaged in an apparent one-woman quest to rid the screen of all middle-aged men: Morgan, Kyle, etc."

Two weeks ago, Philip sensationally quit This Morning after being on the show for 21 years. A week later, he quit ITV all together after admitting he had lied about having a sexual relationship with a young man who worked on the production team.

When questioned about rumours of a relationship, Schofield later admitted that he lied to his bosses, agent, presenting partner Holly Willoughby and his family.

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