Phillip Schofield steps down from ITV with ‘immediate effect’

Phillip Schofield’s This Morning departure addressed by hosts

Phillip Schofield has resigned from ITV completely after it was revealed he had an affair while at the broadcaster with a younger employee

In a statement, he said: “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.”

In Phil’s statement, which was shared with the Daily Mail, he apologised for “misleading” the general public via the press and his lawyers.

“I am making this statement via the Daily Mail to whom I have already apologised personally for misleading, through my lawyer who I also misled, about a story which they wanted to write about me a few days ago,” he 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.”

He added: “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 said: “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,” he added. 

“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.”

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“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,” Phil added.

“I ask the media now to respect their privacy. They have done nothing wrong, and I ask that their privacy should be respected.”

Phillip hosted This Morning for more than 20 years and he announced he was stepping down from the series on Saturday. 

This Morning airs on weekdays at 10am on ITV and ITVX.

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