Phillip Schofield has recalled the moment his affair with a younger male colleague started behind the scenes of This Morning.
Last Friday, the 61-year-old released a statement to The Daily Mail, in which he revealed he had lied about his relationship with the man to ITV, his agents at YMU, his friends and his colleagues.
The TV personality also confessed to lying to The Mail on Sunday, which published the story earlier this month.
At the time of the admission, Phillip described his relationship with the younger man as “unwise, but not illegal”.
As part of his announcement, the TV personality revealed he had parted ways with ITV and his management agency YMU altogether – just days after announcing his immediate departure from This Morning.
Phillip has since broken his silence for the first time since admitting to the affair in a new interview with The UK Sun.
During the interview, Phillip explained that he worked with the man for a short period of time and they had become friends.
He said: “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. 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.
He said: “I did not, I did not (groom him).”
“There are accusations of all sorts of things. 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 time – including to his former This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby, 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 denied a number of shocking claims that have 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.”
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