More photos have surfaced of Phillip Schofield with his much younger former lover – such as This Morning came back today, hosted by Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary.
The industry veteran, 61, was at the center of a major scandal after revealing on Friday that he had lied to ITV, his lawyers and talent agency about his affair with the young man.
Numerous photos show the couple together, including on one This Morning Live event alongside Holly Willoughby.
They also appeared on stage at the National Television Awards that same year when the show was named Best Daytime Programme.
Schofield had carried out the affair while still married to his wife and without the knowledge of Holly, his former co-host and close friend. The Mail chooses not to name the man, who is now in his twenties.
Phillip Schofield with his young lover (center) and Holly Willoughby at an industry event back in 2018
Schofield, his lover and Holly pose on the This Morning sofa. Ms Willoughby has since revealed how her co-host ‘lied’ to her about the affair
Schofield on stage with the young man (pictured center) at the 2018 National Television Awards
The daytime show has collapsed since revelations about Schofield’s relationship with the younger colleague emerged on Friday, with the channel losing millions of pounds in sponsorship deals and some guests turning down requests to appear on the programme.
ITV staff said they had wondered why only the younger colleague – whom the Mail would not name – was allowed to help the star with his wardrobe and food.
One told The sun“It was strange – suddenly this new young member of staff was glued to Phillip’s side.
“It was made clear to all the other staff that he was Phillip’s chosen assistant – even though Phillip was quite aggressive with him at times.”
Today, the show’s new hosts tried to quell the backlash by saying how much they loved making the program.
O’Leary said, “We’re happy to make this show for all of you.”
Mrs. Hammond added, “We will continue to do so.”
Guest Gyles Brandreth said: ‘This is a nice place to be. I enjoy being here. We are happy people in a happy place with interesting stories.”
But speaking out today for the first time since leaving the show, Schofield attacked those “with a grudge against me.”
In a statement posted to his Instagram, the host said, “Now that I’m no longer working on This Morning, I’m free to say this. I hope you’ve noticed that it’s the same handful of people with a grudge against me or the show who seem to have the loudest voice.
“This Morning IS the best show to work on, with the best people. In all the years I worked there, there was no toxicity.
“You can listen to those persistently loud voices if you want. But the thousands of guests over the years, thousands of staff and crew members, hundreds of presenters and contributors all know: it IS a family of wonderful, talented, nice, hard, working people.”
Another photo from the event, where This Morning was named Best Day Programme
Schofield leaves The Ivy Club with the young man in March 2017
It comes as car dealership Arnold Clark, the show’s biggest sponsor, announced it would not be renewing its multimillion-dollar contract with the channel in the fall as planned.
ITV bosses are fighting to save the programme, with brands linked to the channel worried it is ‘no longer a safe bet’.
Arnold Clark’s multi-year contract with This Morning began in September 2021, but the car dealer has confirmed it will not be renewed once the contract expires later this year.
A source told The Sun: ‘There is a lot of speculation about the future of This Morning and some staff are worried about their jobs.
“Phil’s admission of cheating has plunged ITV into a crisis it has never faced before.
‘It is common knowledge internally that they have lost over £2 million in sponsorship deals since Phil’s affair became public.
Arnold Clark, main sponsor of This Morning, is also reconsidering his position.
“Brands feel that ITV is not a safe bet at the moment. ITV is doing everything it can to regain control, but it won’t be an easy task.’
Dr. Ranj said he took his concerns to ‘the top’ of ITV but felt he was ‘taken out’
Following Schofield’s final show on 18 May, Mrs Hammond and O’Leary paid a 30-second tribute to him as they presented the program the following day, following his 21 years on the show.
In a lengthy Instagram post, Dr Ranj Singh said he had ‘thought long and hard’ before delving into the ongoing scandal
The television doctor confirmed that he had taken his concerns about the behavior of editors and senior producers to ITV and subsequently seen his screen time drop.
An ITV insider said the show’s daytime image is “obviously tarnished” but the channel’s bosses will continue to fight to preserve its future.
A source told The Mirror: ‘The next few weeks will be a desperate attempt to save the show – and the execs’ jobs.
“Fingers are being pointed at the CEO, even though he has admitted that he lied to them all.
The show’s wholesome image has clearly been tarnished, but optimistic ITV execs won’t just throw the baby out with the bathwater.
“They are determined to prove that the brand is stronger than any presenter, and that they can give it a fresh start after Schofield.”
This morning has been surrounded by chaos since Schofield admitted in a statement to the Daily Mail on Friday that he had lied about his relationship with the younger man to ITV, his lawyers, his talent agency and his co-star of 14 years.
And the Mail revealed that while ITV insists it launched an investigation into the men’s relationship when rumors began circulating in 2020, the host’s former lover said he was never questioned about the matter.
It is believed that Holly Willoughby is fighting to keep her role as a presenter on the show and hopes to get over the scandal.
She has been off the air since Schofield’s sudden departure, but this was due to a planned holiday for the school holidays.
Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby with Dr Ranj on This Morning in 2019. The TV doctor said he felt he had to say something
Alison Hammond, 48, and Dermot O’Leary, 50, reportedly furious after paying tribute to Phillip Schofield following his departure from This Morning
The show’s Twitter profile was updated on Saturday to remove a photo featuring Phillip Schofield
The 14-year-old presenter is expected to make her return to the program on Monday 5 June.
But Ms Willoughby is also facing calls to leave the show, with Daily Mail columnist and former culture secretary Nadine Dorries claiming she has ‘questions to answer’ and saying an investigation into the show should be carried out.
Since Schofield dramatically left the program earlier this month, pictures of the longtime presenter have been removed from ITV studios in White City.
A large framed photo of him hanging in London’s TV Center where the show is filmed was also removed.
Some have called for the mid-morning show to be canceled altogether, with the editor who launched it 36 years ago calling for it to “die with dignity” last night.
Dianne Nelmes said the show had grown “tired” and was now “shipwrecked by scandal,” adding: “The situation is very sad. Whatever happened, Phillip has been a loyal host of the show.
“I don’t think Holly can do this show alone, not even with Alison Hammond, which is said to be the preferred outcome.
“I don’t think Holly can handle it. Phil will be missed.’
Ex-culture secretary Nadine Dorries joined the call for an independent investigation