Piers Morgan has urged people to lay off Phillip Schofield while suggesting he “probably shouldn’t have” compared himself to Caroline Flack in a recent BBC interview.
The TalkTV broadcaster, who previously said the “relentless persecution” of Schofield should “stop”, defended the disgraced This Morning host from “the baying mob on Twitter”, after he admitted to lying about an affair with a much younger male colleague.
On Friday (2 June), Schofield participated in an interview with the BBC’s Amol Rajan, in which he said he has had suicidal thoughts since sharing the news.
“Last week, if my daughters hadn’t been there then I wouldn’t be here. And they’ve guarded me and won’t let me out of their sight, it’s like a weird numbness,” he said, adding: “I think I understand how Caroline Flack felt.”
TV presenter Flack died by suicide aged 40 in February 2020, after learning she would be prosecuted for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend.
Speaking about Schofield’s interview, Uncensored host Morgan, who wrote a biography of Schofield in the Nineties, said: “I have known him a long time, 35 years. I looked at the guy and thought, ‘You are completely broken.’”
However, the TalkTV presenter said that his “comparison to Caroline Flack was clumsy”, acknowledging that “he probably shouldn’t have said that”.
Morgan did say, though, that he believed Schofield’s comment came from an honest place, stating: “He properly did feel that he was genuinely, ‘What’s left?’”
He then urged the people to stop criticising Schofield, telling viewers: “Unless the young man comes out and contradicts Phillip Schofield’s version of event, or somebody else comes out with new revelations, what else do people want? Phillip Schofield is a broken guy, he’s not going to work on television again almost certainly.
“He’s lost everything in his life. I don’t know what more the baying mob on Twitter wants from Phillip Schofield that he hasn’t already lost?”
When asked about Schofield’s comments on BBC Newsnight, Flack’s mother seemed to suggest that she understood what the TV presenter meant by his remark.
“Every day she would try to be a bit stronger, which I should imagine Phillip is. But you get more and more thrown at you,” she said.
“It’s not only him, it is his daughters. Luckily he’s got them there for support ... Everybody suffers – but not as much as him.”
Ms Flack said Schofield, who knew Caroline and was very upset when she died, was “realising even more now what she went through”. He must put his side of the story, otherwise it’s just speculation, she added.
“I hope he’s done the right thing. I hope he feels better. I hope people now will let it settle. He’s lost his job, he’s lost his world. I think that’s enough for anybody.”
On Monday 5 June, Morgan defended his “good friend” Hollly Willoughby, whose speech about Schofield upon her return to This Morning on Monday (5 June) was branded “ridiculous” and “patronising” by viewers.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
