It was three years ago today that an emotional Phillip Schofield sat on the This Morning sofa and told viewers he was gay.
His voice trembled as he revealed that after 27 years of marriage to wife Stephanie, he had realised that he was actually attracted to the same sex.
The TV presenter made the announcement with the full support of his wife and their two daughters Molly, 29, and Ruby, 26, explaining how his family and their love had helped him through his torment.
"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."
At his lowest ebb, Phil said his weight dropped down to nine stone due to stress, but credited the support of his friend and co-presenter Holly with 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 of his Instagram announcement.
Not long after, the coronavirus pandemic struck, and he locked down at the £2million family home in Henley, Oxon, with Steph and their daughters.
There, he used his downtime to put pen to paper and document his journey in his autobiography, Life Is What You Make It, and hit out at cruel accusations that he misled Stephanie.
"I didn't know I was gay when I married Steph. If I had, I wouldn't have got married," he wrote.
Once lockdown restrictions eased, Phil set about rebuilding his life, reportedly splashing out £2million on a large semi-detached bachelor pad in Chiswick, London.
Phil now lives nearby good friend and fellow ITV star Dec Donnelly, and at the time, neighbours told the Daily Mail he was a hit with the locals.
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 is also in great shape having got himself a personal trainer called Galin. The pair appear to get on well, although Phil branded Galin the 'torturer' after one canoeing adventure last summer.
Meanwhile, not wanting to leave the family unit altogether, Phil is said to have applied to convert a garage back at the family home into a second bachelor pad complete with floor-to-ceiling windows, a sitting room and a posh new kitchen.
A source told the site: "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 remains married.
"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."
The former couple remain close, and speaking ahead of last Christmas, Phil told The Mirror that it would be a big family event, as always.
"Christmas lunch for me and the family is always very traditional," he said.
"Traditions-wise for me is just having family time, that is always essential. My daughters are both Christmas fiends and although they are now 26 and 28, they still put an oat arrow out on the lawn pointing Santa to the house."
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."
But back in 2020, when chat show host Graham Norton was asked if he'd date Phil, he cheekily joked that the presenter already had a secret lover stashed away.
"I imagine Pip has some secret boyfriend squirrelled away somewhere. I'm sure he has. I don't know Pip. I don't know why I'm calling him Pip," Graham teased on the How to Wow podcast.
"I remember what it was like keeping that secret when I was a kid. To keep that secret for presumably 30, 40 years, what that does to you. It's so strange."
