Phillip Schofield has opened up about what his life looks like three years after his shock exit from This Morning in a rare public comment.
The 64-year-old TV personality left the ITV daytime show after 21 years, which he co-hosted with Holly Willoughby, in May 2023 after admitting to an ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a ‘younger male colleague’, 30 years his junior.
He revealed he was ‘painfully conscious’ he had lied to his employers, colleagues, friends, agents, to the media, the public, and his family.
‘I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife,’ he said at the time.
Since then – aside from his unsuccessful three-part survival docuseries on Channel 5, Cast Away – the former presenter has stayed away from the limelight and concentrated on his quiet home life in west London.
Now, he has spoken about what he has been up to in the years since he left his TV career behind – and confirmed he currently has no plans of returning to the small screen.
‘Life is really calm and drama-free now. I decided a while ago that I just wanted a quiet life with family, friends I can trust and my dog,’ he told the Daily Mail, saying he keeps his ‘head down as much as possible’.
He continued: ‘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.
‘I’ve got used to my new life, and I’m content with that and happy.’
The publication also reported that co-stars of 14 years and longtime close friends, Holly and Phillip, are ‘no contact’ these days after the breakdown of their relationship in the lead up to the scandal going public.
‘It runs that deep. It got really, really toxic in the end, actually, for a long time, things hadn’t been that great between them, but they had to hold it together for This Morning. Despite what happened, in front of the camera, they were pros.’
Neither of them has publicly spoken about the other since the end of their professional partnership three years ago.
His name has come up with various other media stars in recent months. Earlier this year, Amanda Holden’s Heart radio co-star Jamie Theakston mentioned Phillip, to which she fired back: ‘Oh God, please, let’s not mention that name on air, it’s a family show!’
The pair reportedly had a falling out in 2018 when he was accused of ruining her chances of co-hosting This Morning while Holly was in Australia.
Elsewhere, in March, Kate Garraway was asked whether she had ever shared a ‘Lost Mary vape’ with him on the BBC’s What Have You Done? with Chi + Lucas, to which she said ‘no’ before remaining tight-lipped for the remainder of the topic.
Metro has reached out to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield’s representatives for comment.
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