EXCLUSIVE: Phillip Schofield enjoying a drink in a London pub – two months after leaving This Morning over affair scandal

Phillip Schofield enjoyed a drink in a London pub on Sunday, two months after leaving This Morning following his affair scandal.

The former ITV star, 61, was spotted sipping a Bloody Mary cocktail and enjoying a burger at The Weir Bar in Brentford.

It is one of the few times Phillip has been seen in public since his dramatic resignation from the broadcaster in May after admitting to an ‘ill-advised but not illegal’ affair with a much younger male colleague.

Since stepping down from the role, Schofield has become something of a recluse and spends much of his time in Newquay, Cornwall with his 87-year-old mother Pat.

He also recently announced that he had become too scared to go outside for fear of being ‘spit on’.

Drinking: The former ITV star, 61, was seen sipping a Bloody Mary cocktail at The Weir Bar in Brentford

But while out and about in Hounslow on Sunday, Phillip looked relaxed as he sat on a bench in the outdoor drinking area.

It’s because friends of Phillip’s have said his working life was now “over” after he admitted and lied about having an affair with a much younger colleague.

One told MailOnline, “Phillip has been really down lately. He doesn’t know how to get back to work.

“He’s pretty sure he’s ready. He keeps saying he will never work again. It’s terrible for him to realize, but he also knows there’s not much he can do about it.

“He doesn’t know who’s going to take him, he knows there’s no going back to ITV or the BBC.”

Sources close to Schofield say his circle of friends is trying to encourage him to think he can have a “fulfilling life” outside of show business.

Another added: ‘Just because he may not be on television anymore doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy his life. Phil isn’t so sure, though.’

Earlier this summer, there were rumors that Schofield was lined up to rebuild his career on TalkTV, but his lawyers quickly shut down these claims, stating that he was “absolutely not” joining the channel as far as he knew.

Difficult: It is one of the few times Phillip has been seen in public since his dramatic resignation from the broadcaster in May after admitting to having an ‘ill-advised but not illegal’ affair with a much younger male colleague

Catching up: While Phillip was on the road on Sunday, though, he looked relaxed on a bench in the outdoor drinking area

Out and about: He wore a nice white shirt as he chatted

Schofield had been involved in the deal for years and kept it a secret until he admitted to The Mail on Sunday that he had lied about the affair being just rumours.

He further confessed that he misled his employer, his colleagues, his friends and his agents at the management firm YMU, who dropped him as a result.

When he broke his silence after leaving the show, he insisted he hadn’t “looked after” the man, despite first meeting him when he was 15.

And he went on to state, “Attraction is attraction. In the gay world it is no different than in the heterosexual world or in the lesbian world.

“There shouldn’t be any difference. This is where homophobia comes into play. We first met when he was 15, I attended drama school (he went to it).

So yes, there is a difference. It’s accepted by Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s not accepted when it’s in the gay world.”

The former ITV personality went on to talk about his fear of going out in public, fearing he would be verbally abused or spat on.

He said, ‘I don’t know when I can walk out the door.

‘I have no mind. My friends tell me “It will get better”. It will not. Not now. Not this one.

“You see all those layers of yourself slipping and slipping and slipping away. The things you loved. But I deserve it. It is my mistake. I deserve it.’

He said he would never use social media again after the dramatic fallout.

Last week it was revealed that Schofield had reduced the asking price of his £1.2million flat in west London that he bought with his wife.

The luxurious retreat, just steps from Television Central in White City, where his morning show was filmed, became a place where Schofield would take his younger lover for “playtime” on Thursdays, it was claimed earlier this year.

The immaculate two-bedroom apartment, part of a gated community, has had its value slashed by £85,000.

It follows Schofield and his estranged wife Stephanie, 59, who have already slashed the property’s asking price by £100,000, bringing it down from the price they paid for it in 2012.

The flat is said to be in ‘very good condition’ and is the ‘perfect setting for entertaining’.

When Schofield stepped down from his role, there were fears that This Morning could be axed altogether.

And these concerns only deepened when his co-host of 13 years Holly Willoughby disappeared on holiday without saying goodbye to viewers.

But sources have since confirmed that the 42-year-old is far from quitting, instead signing a lucrative new contract – and saving the show.

They confirmed that Willoughby will be back in September as planned, despite fears from behind-the-scenes employees that she “quietly quit.”

Difficult: It’s because friends of Phillip’s have said his working life was now “over” following his admission that he had an affair with a much younger colleague and then lied about it

Private: None of Phillip’s daughters have commented on his fling with the much younger This Morning showrunner (pictured in 2022)

Together: Phillip and Stephanie Lowe married in 1997 and raised two daughters together until their split in 2020

Change: The former ITV star has become a major recluse since stepping down from his role after admitting to lying about an affair with a much younger colleague (pictured with Holly on This Morning in May)

Willoughby stepped away from the storm and spent her summer holidays flying to Cornwall and Portugal with husband Dan Baldwin and children Harry, 14, Belle, 12, and Chester, eight.

She’s spent much of her two-month vacation on the Iberian Peninsula soaking up the sun in a £2 million mansion.

The star made a number of appearances and put on a brave face in the Algarve, shopping in a gorgeous yellow dress, taking a dip in the sea and hanging out with her family.

She also celebrated her 16th birthday with her husband on the beach, giving her Instagram followers a rare insight into her marriage and hinting that he has helped her heal from the past year’s difficulties.