Phillip Schofield: Former This Morning host admits relationship with younger ITV employee

TV presenter Philip Schofield has confirmed helium had an matter with a younger antheral ITV worker portion helium was inactive married.

Schofield said his narration with the young employee, who the BBC is not naming, was "unwise but not illegal".

The 61-year-old near his relation arsenic a big connected This Morning past week reports of a rift with co-star Holly Willoughby.

Schofield added helium was resigning from ITV with contiguous effect and volition not contiguous the British Soap Awards adjacent period arsenic planned.

The TV presenter was inactive joined to his woman Stephanie Lowe astatine the clip of the affair. He and his woman separated successful 2020, aft Schofield came retired arsenic gay.

His announcement follows important online speculation implicit respective months astir Schofield's idiosyncratic relationships connected societal media successful caller months.

Schofield besides told the BBC helium was stepping down from being managed by endowment bureau YMU.

"I americium making this connection via the Daily Mail to whom I person already apologised personally for misleading, done my lawyer who I besides misled, astir a communicative which they wanted to constitute astir maine a fewer days ago.

"The archetypal happening I privation to accidental is: I americium profoundly atrocious for having lied to them, and to galore others astir a narration that I had with idiosyncratic moving connected This Morning. I did person a consensual on-off narration with a younger antheral workfellow astatine This Morning.

"Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the antheral erstwhile helium was a teen and was asked to assistance him to get into television, it was lone aft helium started to enactment connected the amusement that it became much than conscionable a friendship. That narration was unwise, but not illegal. It is present over.

"When I chose to travel retired I did truthful wholly for my ain wellbeing. Nobody 'forced' maine out. Neither I nor anyone else, to my knowledge, has ever issued an injunction, ace oregon otherwise, astir my narration with this colleague, helium was ne'er moved connected oregon sacked by oregon due to the fact that of me.

"In an effort to support my ex-colleague I haven't been truthful astir the relationship. But my recent, unrelated, departure from This Morning fuelled speculation and raised questions which person been impacting him, truthful for his involvement it is important for maine to beryllium honorable now.

"I americium painfully conscious that I person lied to my employers astatine ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and truthful the nationalist and astir importantly of each to my family. I americium truthful very, precise sorry, arsenic I americium for having been unfaithful to my wife.

"I person truthful decided to measurement down from the British Soap Awards, my past nationalist commitment, and americium resigning from ITV with contiguous effect expressing my immense gratitude to them for each the astonishing opportunities that they person fixed me. I volition bespeak connected my precise atrocious judgement successful some participating successful the narration and past lying astir it.

"To support his privacy, I americium not naming this idiosyncratic and my deepest privation is that some helium and his household tin present determination connected with their lives escaped from further intrusion, and that this connection volition alteration them to bash so. I inquire the media present to respect their privacy. They person done thing wrong, and I inquire that their privateness should beryllium respected."