Phillip Schofield has admitted to having an affair with a younger This Morning colleague and has resigned from ITV with immediate effect.
The former This Morning presenter released a statement confirming his "consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague" while he was married to his wife.
In a statement, shared by the Daily Mail, Schofield admitted lying about the relationship with the man he was asked to 'help get into television'.
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He explained: “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 has since been dropped by his talent agency YMU and decided to step down from the British Soap Awards and resign from ITV.
YMU Entertainment and Phillip have released separate statements about 'parting company' with 'immediate effect'.
“Honesty and integrity are core values for YMU’s whole business, defining everything we do. Talent management is a relationship based entirely on trust," YMU stated.
“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," he said.
The 61-year-old said he is "deeply sorry" for lying about the relationship.
His statement to the Daily Mail continues: "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.
"When I chose to come out I did so entirely for my own wellbeing. Nobody 'forced' me out. Neither I nor anyone else, to my knowledge, has ever issued an injunction, super or otherwise, about my relationship with this colleague, he was never moved on or sacked by or because of me.
"In an effort to protect my ex-colleague I haven't been truthful about the relationship. But my recent, unrelated, departure from This Morning fuelled speculation and raised questions which have been impacting him, so for his sake it is important for me to be honest now.
"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. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife.
"I have therefore decided to step down from the British Soap Awards, my last public commitment, and am resigning from ITV with immediate effect expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me. I will reflect on my very bad judgement in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it.
"To protect his privacy, I am not naming this individual and my deepest wish is that both he and his family can now move on with their lives free from further intrusion, and that this statement will enable them to do so. I ask the media now to respect their privacy. They have done nothing wrong, and I ask that their privacy should be respected."
Phillip 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 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.
Holly and ITV were said to have been “blindsided” by the sudden statement.
Phillip made the decision to step down from the programme and said he wanted to “protect the show that I love.”
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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