Phillip Schofield has spoken out about the devastating years that followed the scandal which ended his glittering television career, admitting the experience was “utterly brutal” and that he has now accepted there is “no way back”.
The former This Morning presenter, 64, stepped away from ITV in May 2023 after admitting to what he described at the time as an “unwise, but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague. The fallout was swift and severe, leaving his reputation damaged, his long-running TV career in ruins, and his close friendship with Holly Willoughby seemingly over for good.
Three years later, Schofield says he has adjusted to a quieter existence away from the cameras. In an email to the Mail, he revealed that he has become used to a “calm and drama free” life, choosing to keep his circle small and his head down.
“I decided a while ago that I just wanted a quiet life with family, friends I can trust and my dog,” he said.
The comment has been seen by some as a pointed remark after the collapse of his once-close bond with Holly, with whom he previously shared holidays and a hugely successful on-screen partnership. Their friendship reportedly broke down completely after the scandal, with Holly distancing herself from her former co-star as the crisis engulfed ITV.
Reflecting on the turmoil, Schofield admitted: “The past few years were, as you know, utterly brutal on so many levels and I came to terms with the fact that there was no way back.”
The scandal first erupted after Schofield confirmed he had lied about the affair to ITV, his agents, colleagues and even his family. He had first met the man involved when he was a 15-year-old drama school student, though the relationship did not begin until years later.
Schofield, who married his wife Stephanie in 1993 and came out as gay live on This Morning in 2020, later admitted he had also denied the rumours to his wife. Speaking previously to The Sun, he recalled the painful moment he told her the truth.
“She got off a plane and I phoned her up and texted saying, ‘I need to talk to you’. She called back and I told her. She was very, very angry,” he said.
Although the couple separated in 2020, they have remained married, and Schofield’s family life has been permanently changed by the events of the past few years. However, his daughters Molly, 32, and Ruby, 29, have continued to stand by him.
During Channel 5’s Phillip Schofield: Cast Away, Molly spoke candidly about the impact on the family, saying: “When my dad came out, it was… very hard for me, it was very hard for the entire family – mainly my mum, of course – everything was turned upside down.”
She added: “But we talked through it, and over time it’s got easier. You know, my mum, my sister [Ruby], we’re all the same, we will always continue to support him no matter what.”
PR expert Mayah Riaz recently told the Mirror that Schofield’s case remains difficult for the public to process because it sits in an uncomfortable space between personal wrongdoing and a very public collapse.
“Phillip Schofield’s situation is complicated as it still makes people feel a bit uncomfortable because it sits in that grey area between a genuine wrongdoing and a very public unravelling,” she said.
Riaz also suggested that Holly Willoughby became “collateral damage” when the scandal exploded, explaining: “She was placed in an impossible position where any reaction was going to be criticised. Silence looked complicit, speaking out looked disloyal. That is a PR nightmare no one trains you for.”
Now, after years of headlines, scrutiny and personal fallout, Schofield appears to have accepted that his life in the spotlight may be over. Instead of chasing a comeback, he says he is focused on a smaller, quieter world built around family, trusted friends and the peace he once could not find.
