Phillip Schofield will not return to television or radio following the publication of ITV's report into his affair with a much younger colleague.
Friends of the fallen presenter say he secretly 'dreaded' the review because he 'had no idea' what it might reveal.
Those close to him also say fears that the report – which clears bosses of a cover-up – would reveal unwanted details has left him in a “very bad position”.
His supporters have called for him to make a comeback. But Schofield, 61, is expected to continue 'cocooning' himself in his London home in the wake of his admission on This Morning that he had a relationship with a younger colleague while married to the mother of his two daughters, Stephanie Lowe. .
A friend told The Mail on Sunday: 'Phillip is not returning anywhere, he has been in a very bad situation since he decided to tell the truth and resign. He has cocooned himself and continues to recover. The report has been hanging over his head for a long time.
Phillip Schofield will not return to television or radio following the publication of ITV's report into his affair with a much younger colleague (pictured in January 2023)
Friends of the fallen presenter say he privately 'feared' the review because he 'had no idea' what it might reveal (pictured with Holly in 2020)
'It was something of fear for him.
“Now that that's out of the way, he can start building some kind of life, but there's no way he'll be in the public eye for much longer, if ever.”
Friends say they hope Schofield will find some sort of pastime away from the spotlight as he improves.
The father-of-two did not take part in the external investigation, which was conducted by barrister Jane Mulcahy KC, and neither did the younger man – who ITV calls Person X.
He will no longer be in the public eye for a while
Sources close to Schofield say this is because he was 'too ill' to do so – something they believe was understood by Ms Mulcahy. But the report, which was criticized as a 'whitewash' and a 'waste of time', is said to have left the network's staff 'stunned'. While it admitted that junior staff working at the organization were too scared to say anything, it found that only one junior staff member had said he was aware of the affair.
In May, Schofield voluntarily quit all his ITV commitments when he admitted to the Ny Breaking that he had had an affair with a production assistant on This Morning who was much younger – and later lied about it. The presenter had previously tried to use press regulator IPSO against this newspaper to keep his relationship secret.
Schofield was immediately dumped by his agency of 35 years, YMU. They also said he lied to them about the affair.
The star has hosted This Morning since 2002, when he replaced John Leslie.
He also presented ITV's skating show Dancing On Ice after finding fame as a children's television presenter on the BBC.
Those close to him also say fears that the report – which clears bosses of a cover-up – will reveal unwanted details has left him in a “very bad position”.
The star has hosted This Morning since 2002, when he replaced John Leslie. He also presented ITV's skating show Dancing On Ice after rising to fame as a children's television presenter on the BBC (pictured in 2016)