Phillip Schofield has opened up on the "shocking" realisation about the first photo with the young male colleague he had an affair with while presenting This Morning . The disgraced former co-host of the popular ITV daytime magazine programme has spoken out in a bid to address rumours about his affair with the young male show runner who he cheated on his wife with. Phillip, 61, is adamant to get his side of the scandal across and state facts about his relationship with his This Morning colleague. In his interview with The Sun , Phillip has admitted he is "utterly broken and ashamed" by the ordeal but stressed that their affair happened only once they became
Friends when the young male runner worked on the show. Phillip Schofield still pals with ex-lover as he reveals exactly how and when affair began Phillip has spoken out to address rumours of the affair ( Image: ITV) Phillip has insisted that he did not groom the young man, who we are not naming to maintain his privacy, despite a photo circulating on
Social Media of the two meeting when his ex-lover was only a teenager. He said: "At the time I did not think about it possibly ruining my career. I really probably only thought about it when I saw the rumour mill, and saw it growing. "Then I saw the link with the drama school photo all those years before, and thought, 'this looks shocking'. "But I didn’t lie to protect my career, he didn’t want his name in public. He wanted his own life. Phillip came out as gay in an interview on This Morning in February 2020 ( Image: S Meddle/ITV/REX) "The lies grew bigger and bigger and bigger and it was affecting both of us deeply. It got to the stage where it was out of control and for whatever cost, it had to stop." He said he had 'massive guilt, and regret' and that he had 'made a mistake, I’ve had an affair at work.' Phillip presented his final episode of This Morning on Thursday, May 18, with ITV confirming his immediate exit just two days later. He subsequently parted ways from ITV and his management company. Phillip hosted his final episode of This Morning on Thursday, May 18 ( Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock) "I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife...," he said in a statement released to the Daily Mail. He continued: "I have therefore decided to step down from the
British Soap Awards, my last public commitment, and am resigning from ITV with immediate effect expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me. "I will reflect on my very bad judgement in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it." Read More Phillip Schofield reveals what really drove he and Holly Willoughby apart Read More Holly Willoughby hasn't replied to Phillip Schofield's apology text message Read More Phillip Schofield will 'die sorry' after bringing 'greatest' misery into ex-lover's life Read More Holly Willoughby 'has nothing to hide' in ITV probe as pal insists 'Phil lied to her' Read More Phillip Schofield's devastated wife Stephanie 'had no idea' lover was more than 'just a friend'