Former This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield has admitting to having affair with a younger ITV member of staff.
Phillip has since been dropped by his talent agency YMU after the affair, which was not illegal, and has since been dropped by ITV. The Mirror can confirm Phillip's former talent agency YMU parted ways with the presenter on Thursday – with Phillip later sharing a statement to admit to the affair.
YMU Entertainment and Phillip released have released separate statements about "parting company" with "immediate effect". YMU stated: “Honesty and integrity are core values for YMU’s whole business, defining everything we do. Talent management is a relationship based entirely on trust.
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“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.”
Phillip said: “It is with the most profound regret that after 35 years of being faultlessly managed by YMU I have agreed to step down from their representation with immediate effect.“
In a later statement, which Phillip shared with the Daily Mail, he admitted to having an affair with a younger ITV employee. He said: “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. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over.“
Phillip also revealed he has quit ITV altogether, which means he won't be hosting the British Soap Awards next week. In the lengthy statement, Phillip said he was "deeply sorry" to the publication and his lawyers for "misleading" them on a story they wanted to publish earlier this week. He added how he had "not been truthful" about the relationship in "an effort to protect my ex-colleague".
Phillip insisted his recent departure from This Morning was "unrelated" but had "fuelled speculation and raised questions", which he says have been "impacting" his ex. He added: "For his sake it is important for me to be honest now."
The former presenter, who had hosted This Morning from 2002, added how he was "painfully conscious" that he had "lied" to his employers at ITV as well as colleagues, friends, agents, the media, the public and "most importantly of all to my family". In the lengthy apology, he added: "I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife."
Phillip then announced his decision to step down from hosting the British Soap Awards, which he was due to front next week and resigned from ITV "with immediate effect". The 61-year-old announced his departure from This Morning over the weekend – 21 years after he first took his spot on the famous sofa.
The presenter is usually joined on the sofa by a close friend and co-host Holly Willoughby, 42, but the two's relationship has been strained in recent months. Sources previously claimed that the pair were "separate entities" and their friendship outside of their presenting partnership had "cooled".
It led to Phil issuing a bombshell statement where he insisted they were still great friends but it had been a tough few weeks for them with Phil's brother's court case and Holly's battle with shingles. Holly and ITV were said to have been “blindsided” by the sudden statement.
After a week of putting on a brave face, Phil made the decision to step down from the programme and said he wanted to “protect the show that I love.” In a statement, the former host said: "I have always been proud to cover fascinating stories on This Morning. But recently, This Morning itself has become the story.
"Throughout my career in TV – including the very difficult last few days – I have always done my best to be honourable and kind. I understand that ITV has decided the current situation can’t go on, and I want to do what I can to protect the show that I love.
"So I have agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect, in the hope that the show can move forward to a bright future. I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me – especially This Morning’s amazing viewers – and I’ll see you all for the Soap Awards next month."
At the time, Holly also issued a statement where she said the sofa wouldn't be the same without Phil. "It’s been over 13 great years presenting This Morning with Phil and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for all of his knowledge, his experience and his humour. The sofa won’t feel the same without him," she shared.
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