Holly Willoughby has spoken to the independent inquiry into the Phillip Schofield scandal.
The 42-year-old’s former best pal and This Morning co-host Phillip’s life was flung into chaos earlier this month when he announced his immediate departure from the ITV morning show, amid reports of a “feud” between himself and Holly.
The TV personality subsequently admitting to having an affair with a younger man, who was one of their colleagues, and immediately parted ways with both ITV and his talent agency YMU.
According to The UK Mirror, Holly has spoken to James Mulcahy KC, who is heading the independent inquiry into Phillip’s affair.
A source told the publication the mum-of-three “fully complied and cooperated with everything that has been asked of her by the KC”.
“Holly was more than happy to do what was asked of her, and explain her position, and what she knew, and what she didn’t.”
Friends of Holly’s later told the publication: “She has nothing to hide.”
Holly is just one of a number of This Morning staff who have helped James Mulcahy KC with her investigation.
Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival earlier this week, ITV’s managing director Kevin Lygo said: “She [Mulcahy] has been talking to everybody involved, they take your phone and look at every single text you’ve ever sent, email, WhatsApp.”
“So, everything is available, lots of interviews, talking to everybody and I hope as soon as possible, but probably in September, she will make that public.”
Discussing how ITV handles its duty of care, Mr Lygo said: “We do, trust me, take it incredibly seriously. “I don’t think we’ve got anything to hide and if we can adapt and change our processes to make it better, then we should do so on a continuing basis.”
Phillip quit This Morning back in May, amid rumours of a feud between him and Holly.
Shortly afterwards, he quit ITV all together, after admitting to having an affair with a younger male colleague while he was still married to his wife Steph.
The 61-year-old confessed he lied about his relationship with the man to ITV, his agents at YMU, his friends and his colleagues – including Holly.
Following Phillip’s affair admission, Holly took to her Instagram Stories to release a statement, writing: “It’s taken time to process yesterday’s news.”
“When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not. It’s been very hurtful to find out this was a lie. Holly x.”
Phillip spoke about the affair in a bombshell interview with The UK Sun in June.
He explained that he worked with the man for a short period of time and they had become friends.
“Then one day something happened that just changed it. That is the moment I look back on, and regret so deeply.”
“It was in my dressing room in 2017, it was a consensual moment, it was mutual. It was not a love affair, it was not a relationship, we were not boyfriends; we were mates.”
“It wasn’t feelings (I was getting), it was more like mates: excitement,” Phillip continued. “I was really struggling with my sexuality at that time in the build up to what happened.”
“But over a period of time it happened maybe five or six times,” he said. “We just didn’t think anyone knew, there was no lying, we thought, stupidly, that nobody knew.”
“You look at yourself. I was unprofessional, one time, in a 41-year career. I know I did that. And there is no excuse. I won’t put forward an excuse. No one did anything wrong apart from me.”
Phillip also denied claims he “groomed” the man in question, after photos emerged of their first meeting when he was a teenager, saying: “I did not, I did not [groom him].”
“There are accusations of all sorts of things,” Phillip continued. “It never came across that way [an abuse of power] because we’d become mates. I don’t know about that.”
“But of course I understand that there will be a massive judgment, but bearing in mind, I have never exercised that anywhere else.”
“I assume somebody, somewhere, assumed something was going on, correctly, and didn’t say anything.”
“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.”
“The lies grew bigger and bigger and bigger. 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.”
“I have massive guilt, and regret. I’ve made a mistake, I’ve had an affair at work.”
During the interview, Phillip apologised a number of times – including to his former This Morning co-host Holly, and his wife of 30 years Stephanie; however, he said his “greatest apology” was to the man.
“I think my greatest apology must go to him. It has brought the greatest misery into his totally innocent life, his totally innocent family, his totally innocent friends,” he said.
“It has brought the greatest grief to them. I haven’t spoken to him since this s**t show kicked off, but when this was all beginning to get out of control, I paid for his lawyers to independently work on his behalf.”
“I am deeply sorry and I apologise to him because I should have known better. I should have acted the way I have always acted. I should not have done it. I’m sorry. And I will forever be sorry. I will die sorry. I am so deeply mortified.”
Phillip also denied a number of shocking claims that emerged since his affair came to light, including allegations the man received “hush money” or signed an NDA preventing him from speaking out.
The 61-year-old also shut down speculation he got him a job on This Morning.
He said: “I told him, ‘I think I can get you an interview but I can’t get you the job. If you get in and screw it up I can’t save you. He got the job on his own merits and started working on the show.”
Addressing the backlash he’s received since the affair came to light, Phillip admitted: “I am in a very bad way. Mentally, utterly, utterly broken. And if it hadn’t been for my girls last week I wouldn’t be here.”
“I know I deserve it but they said, ‘Don’t you dare, we’re here to look after you’. I feel embarrassed and ashamed. I have just felt like I was going lower and lower and lower and lower. And then, this bizarre, numbness washes over you, like a selfishness.”
“I’ve had such a s*** couple of years, and with this ultimate final cataclysm, I looked ahead at nothing and the girls said, ‘Don’t, we are here to look after you. Don’t you dare do it on our watch’.”
“And that took me one step back and they won’t leave me alone. They were guarding me.”
Phillip revealed he’s deleted all social media off his phone due to the abuse he’s been receiving online.
“AI won’t kill off the human race — it is social media,” he said.
“Because — what is the saying? — a lie goes all the way around the world before the truth has even put its boots on. It’s invention and it grows and grows and it is like cancer. Social media is cancer.
“You can’t stop it. There are completely innocent people caught up in it, and they are then put on trial. It is what we have become. Who is our next victim? Bring them down, now someone else.
“And that, to me, is the worst. There are good parts to social media but the bad parts are vicious, vile, deeply homophobic and so… It is a witch hunt.”
“It continues and continues. Do they not know there is a human being at the end of this? Do you actually want me to die? Is that the end game?”
“I know doing an interview with you is not going to make that stop,” Phillip continued.
“It won’t stop it. I just want to do everything I possibly can to say it’s my fault; don’t go after him, don’t go after his friends, don’t go after his family. Nobody did anything wrong apart from me.”
“I am not sleeping, I am not eating,” he said. “There’s a lot of Southern Comfort.”
“My mind is in constant, utter turmoil. I think back to regrets, forwards to… What do I do now? What I am going to do now?”
“I do not think I will be able to walk down a street ever again. It is like everybody knows. I am dressed like this because I haven’t been able to go home. I can’t go out. I don’t think a charity will want to be associated with me.”
“I got dropped by The Prince’s Trust, which I understand, but it broke my heart.”
“I’ve lost everything. It’s all gone. Telly was my safe space, the one thing I loved. Now I don’t know if I will ever work on telly again.”
“I don’t know what my identity is any more. I don’t know who I am now. What happens in six months time? What am I going to do?”
“I have the rest of my life now to try and plan for Steph and the girls, and hope that I can look after them.”
