Phillip Schofield's voice trembled as he sat on the This Morning sofa on 7th February 2020.
Usually the confident, chatty host at the helm of the show, Phil looked tired and gaunt as he sat down to speak with his fellow presenter and best friend Holly Willoughby.
Today was a show like no other - this time, it was Phil's turn to open up.
He explained that he had realised that he was gay, and wanted to share the news with his loyal viewers.
Phil was and is still married to his wife of 29 years, Stephanie Lowe, with whom he has two daughters - Molly, 28, and Ruby, 25.
The legendary TV host revealed just how tough his life had become as he battled his fear that he wasn't living his truth.
Get the news you want straight to your inbox. Sign up for a Mirror newsletter here
He had been terrified of how people would react and whether or not he would be accepted.
But an outpouring of support ensued as viewers praised Phil for his honesty.
Meanwhile, his family also supported him fully, with the star explaining their love had helped ease his pain.
"Steph has been incredible – I love her so very much. She is the kindest soul I have ever met," he said.
"My girls have been astonishing in their love, hugs and encouraging words of comfort."
Speaking to presenter Ryan Tubridy on RTÉ One's The Late Late Show, Phil said he made the decision to "save himself" as "it got that dark".
He shared how he travelled down to Cornwall to visit his mother, who is in her eighties, and broke the news to her.
Phillip recalled: "She had already asked me months before, 'Are you OK, you look skinny... You look sad, I know there's something wrong'."
The presenter then revealed that the moment finally came to tell her the truth, with his mum previously thinking this was due to a condition Phillip has which causes his eyes to blur.
He revealed: "I said 'Mum, I have something to tell you', and I told her and she said 'Oh, oh right okay, thank god for that, I thought you were going blind... Those things in your eyes.
"'That's alright, so long as you are okay and Steph's okay and the girls are okay.'"
Phil then described how his mother transformed in a way he hadn't necessarily expected.
The 59-year-old described: "My mum suddenly turned into this incredibly modern, forward-thinking 84-year-old and we have these incredible really good solid chats...that's actually worked out really well."
Phil said his weight had dropped down to nine stone due to stress, but the support of his friend and co-presenter Holly was invaluable in helping him make the big leap.
"I remember so vividly that moment where I had written that statement and my thumb was hesitating over the phone and I thought, 'This is when I nuke my life and those around me,'" he said.
Not long after he made his announcement, the coronavirus pandemic struck, and he locked down at the £2million family home in Henley, Oxon.
He used his downtime to put pen to paper and document his journey in his autobiography, Life Is What You Make It.
In it, he hit out at vile accusations he had deliberately misled Stephanie.
"I didn’t know I was gay when I married Steph. If I had, I wouldn’t have got married," he wrote.
"When things got really dark, [Steph] reminded me how much they all loved me and that there was nothing that the four of us couldn’t cope with."
That September he was believed to have splashed out £2million on a large semi-detached bachelor pad in Chiswick, London.
Phil's new home is also close to fellow ITV star Dec Donnelly's home as well as the house Ant McPartlin shared with his ex-wife Lisa Armstrong.
At the time, neighbours told the Daily Mail that Phil had moved in two weeks earlier and that they'd seen him around the property regularly since.
One neighbour said: "It’s caused quite a stir since he’s moved in and got people very excited.
"He seems like a very nice man and quite normal. You see him walking or cycling mainly and he smiles every time he goes past."
Another added: "There are quite a few famous people already living around here so Phillip Schofield moving in is not a big deal.
"A lot of people have been talking about it, but nobody bothers him. He’s a lovely bloke and I’m sure he’ll enjoy living in our community."
Phil reportedly also applied to convert a garage back at the family home into a bachelor pad, with plans to knock down one of the garages and build a new place with floor-to-ceiling windows, a sitting room and a posh new kitchen.
According to The Sun, there will also be a guest bedroom and an ensuite bathroom.
A source told the site: "Phillip and Steph are getting on really well and are in no rush to make any big decisions.
"This annexe can be used by any member of the family at any time - and is a great investment long-term, adding value to the property."
Indeed, despite constant chatter about exactly when Phil and Steph will file for divorce, the former Broom Cupboard host confirmed that it wasn't even on the table.
"I’m still married to Steph. With divorce... We’ve not discussed that at all," he told Chris Evans' podcast, How to Wow.
"We’re picking our way through. It’s a work in progress."
At the time of his coming out, Phil confirmed that there was no one else on the scene and insisted that finding a new partner was way down his list of priorities.
Asked by Holly if he was looking for a new relationship, he replied: "No, I don’t think so. No, I’m not thinking there. I’m doing each day at a time now and this has always been a slow process."
Phil is still incredibly close with his wife and children, and last month they all enjoyed a trip to the theatre together.
The group - who were also joined by one of Phil and Steph's daughter's boyfriends - laughed and giggled as they chatted before taking their seats.
Phil said the country being plunged into lockdown had caused him to have an epiphany.
"I think what’s important is that you realise that, in the space of a year, just how big other things can be - look what we've all gone through as a nation," he told The Radio Times.
"There are much, much bigger things in the world than our own personal struggles."
Last August, Phil burst into tears as he received a special recognition award at the LBGT Awards.
"Wow. This is a biggie. What a proud moment for me personally," the star said as he began his video acceptance speech.
"I've never won any award individually. Any award you win as a team that's there propping you up and definitely, that's the case with this one."
He continued: "I had the most extraordinary people that helped me pack the parachute before the jump.
"Friends and family, loved ones and then there was an enormous amount of rainbow arms outstretched to catch me when I reached the bottom of my jump."
More recently, Phil has been holed up in his London pad all alone because he tested positive for Covid, forcing him to drop out from presenting Dancing on Ice at the weekend.
Not only that, but his roof has unfortunately been leaking.
The presenter revealed that he's grateful to have been in the house to discover the leak because if he had been out working, it could have completely flooded his not-so-humble abode.
Sharing a clip of the water dripping onto his floor, he wrote: "Life is full of small consolations.
"If I hadn't tested positive and had gone to @dancingonice the house would be flooded."
Phil then shared a clip of water dripping around a light fixture in his house as he said: "Remind me not to turn on that light!
"Surprisingly I'm very calm. As they say in the movie, 'Don't look up'."
Do you have a story to share? Email webfeatures@trinitymirror.com
