Phillip Schofield steps down from ITV after affair with "much younger male"

He said he didn't know for a fact there was anything going on between them. He didn't even know PS was gay until he came out. He can talk now because a relationship was confirmed and Schofields thousand pound an hour lawyers have a client who says he has lied and those hounds can't be released as such.

Eamonn confirmed they had heard the rumours like everyone else but did not know anything. He said Ruth in particular was close with the lad but that he never spoke to her or Holmes about Schofield or any relationship befween them and that they presumably didn’t intrude on his private life so what was he to do? Eamonn and Ruth worked on a Friday so would never have seen them together. Plenty of people who worked Mon - Thurs with the pair of them also said nothing because they were also likely hearing just rumours, gossip with nothing concrete.

I think their grievance was with Schofield being a bollox in general and Holmes taking the opportunity to stick the boot in would be understandable. Ratings baby ratings i.e. he even got people tuning into GB News for it.

I thought he had money problems, undeclared owed back tax etc.,

The problem is Holly, Ruth, Dan, Eamonn and more were gushing over brave Phil when he came out which was really a big sham for the media and public yet all knew what was really going on and stayed quiet

All Eamonn did was get traffic to GBNews with viewers, he isn't coming out of this well either

Channel 4 should do an documentary on the whole thing

It seems there were plenty of lies and cover ups and if PS and MMcG had a relationship for years, there's no way that other colleagues didn't know about it. People are not stupid or blind. OTOH, people don't want to get involved in others private lives and mostly mind their own business. From all the recent media reporting, I thought MMcG was a wet behind the ears teenager when he worked on TM, but it looks like he already had work experience. https://uk.linkedin.com/in/matt-mcgreevy-aa2684a5

Not a fan of PS, HW or the TM show, but its a bit odd that the affair/bullying/toxic workplace is headline news now if its been like that for years. Maybe ITV just dont want to employ someone that's related or connected to a convicted paedophile.

Yeah, there is a bit of a pile on to be fair - and most likely from people who have had an axe to grind with ITV and/or PS over the years. I suppose that is to be expected in today's 24/7 "news" cycle.

Agreed, it's just a public image but look, I'd expect the ITV shareholders will have questions to ask around how this has been handled by the company and if the stories about the cancellation of TM are true, there will be a lot of staff out of work potentially.

I dont think Eamonn has anything to lose at this stage. His career is over anyway - he has big health issues and has mobility issues. His 'career in TV' is no longer relavent to him so hes telling it like it is.

I felt Eamonn and Ruths gushing over Phil when he came out was Eamonn only doing what his bosses wanted and told him to do. I would think Eamonn personally had a very different view on Philips antics.

Yea, god only know how he's involved, or why his opinion is valued.

With everything else going on in the world, just what element of this soap opera, complete with divas like Eamonn and Philip, is actually concerning?

For me, I couldn’t care less if Philip lied to the Queen- the vast majority of the “hot air” over the last week, was focused on Philip lying to employers, fans, his family, his Co host- but there was also an expectation that something “big” was about to blow- it hasn’t.

While we don’t know when his relationship with the young intern/runner started, or how it started or whatever, it’s clear no allegation of illegality (covers a multitude) is currently present in the mainstream media - while we might not like the age difference, or are dubious around the circumstances of when such a relationship initialised, the fact is, for the last number of days, this story has transformed into a cat fight concerning Eamonn Philip and Holly - really, there’s nothing to see here at this stage, is my view. It’s all over bar the fighting - some careers lost, and some poor guy out there needs a well deserved leg up the career ladder for what he’s been put through- I still say this young chap is perfect for the new presenter of This Morning- advertisers would beat down the door to be a part of it.

Well people react to other people reacting to it and it becomes a reinforcing cycle. And the names in question are household names we 'have' in our living rooms frequently.

Yes the person deserving sympathy / concern would be for the 'poor guy' ... his promising career in entertainment seems to be over having barely started, unless he gets a redemption along the lines you suggest. He may be mortified by the whole affair. Last seen working in a pub and seemingly has quit that. Does he slink away, emigrate even ... or 'own' it and come out fighting to try to restart that career or at least bank a restart fund. Or maybe he already signed some sort of hush deal with ITV.

I have no sympathy for Schofield. His reputation and career is ruined but one imagines at this stage has banked enough to slink away to an affluent retirement.

He’s worth millions but that will be halved and then some, when his divorce is finalised- cleaners comes to mind😂

It’s essentially a story about a uk tv morning presenter having it all and throwing it all away.

Unless the promised “big” thing emerges, which I doubt at this stage- that’s it.

oh and forget “super injunctions” - if there was something else, it would be out there now.

ITV executives are set to face a televised probe from MPs over what they knew and when about the Phillip Schofield This Morning affair

It has made it to Parliament, all going on in the UK and the world, this is being "probed" 😄

I also found Holmes' turn of phrase about 'play time' in respect to Philip and younger man socialising on Thursday nights pretty crass.

It's even hurtful to the young man involved. Like he hasn't spoken out, so shy should Holmes be speaking about this young man's experience when he wasn't there himself.

One of the papers today claiming Phil had ITV pay for a flat near the studio for their hook ups and then ITV paid the fella off when it all went sour, is an NDA in play still?

Phillip Schofield dropped as Prince’s Trust ambassador

Nothing “new” per se- I think the lack of detail around the “when how where what “ of the relationship with the “young chap” is just generating recycled “news” - Philip isn’t going to give anything away voluntarily so it’s down to whether the other guy wishes to go public- not sure that would be such a good idea as may bring more pressure on the poor guy.

I have no sympathy for Schofield. His reputation and career is ruined but one imagines at this stage has banked enough to slink away to an affluent retirement.

Meh, the public especially the British one will move onto the next outrage festival soon enough.

If he attracts an audience on some vehicle someone will hire him.

We don't just live in the closed realms of terrestrial TV anymore.

Just ask Clarkson.

No “crime” committed apparently- so individuals/tv viewers are left to decide themselves how they feel- obviously a fair number will think similar to yourself- that’s why PS is unlikely to appear in a self made YouTube video in the future no less a prime time UK tv show- listeners would just switch off - personally I always switched off PS well before this episode- have no interest in this type of rubbish show 😀

A huge opportunity with strings no?

Isn't that similar to the 'opportunity' many Hollywood casting directors have gotten into trouble for offering?

You've no idea what he thought he was getting into.

And if you really think that it is acceptable for casting directors to offer 'opportunities' at the price of sexual involvement then that's a morally and intellectually bankrupt position. It is a charter for abuse of power, position and sexual harassment.

I disagree profoundly for the reasons outlined above - you are writing a charter for sexual harassment.

But if that is what you think, then people (ITV) are free to offer, or no longer offer, Schofield such a position where he can engage in such abuse of position. Which they have done.

As things stand, though I haven't been reading all the info coming out about this story, I'd be of the opinion that Schofield is a creep (at best).

If nothing started until the other party was 18, it is legal and that'll surely be what Schofield will point to.

Normally, while I personally find it odd for such an age gap, if they meet as adults and consent to a relationship, I wouldn't have a problem. However, given the background to this story and that they clearly knew each other before he turned 18, its disturbing.

Its like cheating; not illegal but morally dodgy. I guess Schofield just uses strict interpretations of the law as his moral guideline.

I used to teach English to teenagers. Its been five years since I quit and a lot of those teenagers are in their twenties now. Some of them have become very attractive adults and I no longer work in education so there's plenty of 'distance'. However, I'd find it weird as **** to act on that. While adults, they'd still be kids in my mind and that's not something I could get away from.

Seemingly, Schofield doesn't have that thought process (at best; I still feel there's a lot more to come out in this story).

Has it been established that Schofield actually got him the job and he did so in return for sexual favours?

In that situation you are deep into the realms of criminal coercive control and the fact he was an adult becomes moot.

When I was 20 there were plenty of 50 yr olds I wouldn't have minded getting shagged by 😁😁

According to that he got a 3 week work experience gig on the show and he interviewed Schofield then.

Sexual favours for 3 weeks unpaid work?

Doesn't pass the smell test.

Nobody said any such thing.

The 3 weeks work directly lead to him ending up at ITV / This Morning, with credits and a patron like that on his CV.

The point is that Schofield put himself into a position where he could boost the careers of young 'wannabes' he had his eye on. He used his position \ profile to get them gigs off the back of that.

That person may have then felt under pressure to go along with Schofield's advances for their career \ employment.

It's an abuse of position - and people shouldn't be put into situations where they have to make those choices. It was totally inappropriate situation Schofield created.

Then let's dial back and remember that Schofield made contact over social media with the other party on social media when they were 15 - following up an in-person visit to the theatre group Schofield is patron of.

Do Schofield's actions pass the 'smell test'? Nope. They stink.