Phillip Schofield has stepped down as host of this year's British Soap Awards, after admitting to having an affair with a young This Morning crew member.
Last weekend, after huge speculation, Phillip, 61, left his 21 year job as This Morning host with immediate effect, but assured fans that he would be back to present the Soap Awards next month, with ITV also confirming that they had plans for Phillip to front a new primetime series.
However, on Friday evening, Phillip released a statement in which he confessed to what he described as an 'unwise but not illegal' affair with a former colleague on This Morning. In the statement, published in full by the Daily Mail, Phillip said: ""The first thing I want to say is: I am deeply sorry for having lied to them, and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on This Morning. 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 denied that his relationship with the young runner 'forced' him to come out or that the lad in question left This Morning because of the affair.
And in the statement Phillip also confirmed that he won't be hosting the Soap Awards, another role he has held for years now. Addressing that situation, Phillip explained: "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."
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