ITV has responded following Phillip Schofield’s bombshell statement.
The former This Morning host, 61, announced on Friday (May 26) that he would be stepping down from the channel with ‘immediate effect’ after admitting to an affair with a younger male colleague.
He explained that the affair took place while he was married to wife Stephanie – with whom he shares two daughters – and before he came out as gay.
Phil said the relationship was ‘unwise but not illegal’ after first he met the colleague when he was a teenager.
However, he ultimately lied to his bosses and team, saying in part of his statement: ‘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.’
ITV has since broken their silence, confirming that they accept his resignation, with Phil having already stepped down from This Morning and no longer set to appear at the British Soap Awards, or on Dancing On Ice.
The broadcaster also admitted to feeling ‘badly let down’ and ‘deeply disappointed’ after Phil confessed to lying to bosses about his relationship.
In a comment provided to Metro.co.uk, an ITV spokesperson said: ‘We are deeply disappointed by the admissions of deceit made tonight by Phillip Schofield.
‘The relationships we have with those we work with are based on trust. Philip made assurances to us which he now acknowledges were untrue and we feel badly let down.’
They concluded: ‘We accept his resignation from ITV and therefore can confirm that he will not be appearing on ITV as had previously been stated.’
As a result of Phil’s admission, he has also been dropped by his talent agent.
They had worked together for 35 years.
Issuing a separate statement, Phil shared: ‘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.’
Phillip Schofield statement in full
'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.
'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.
'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 judgment 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.'
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