Joel Dommett is set to temporarily replace Phillip Schofield on This Morning amid his brother’s ongoing sex abuse trial.
The I’m A Celeb star will fill in for the TV personality on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, with Phillip expected to return on April 3.
The 60-year-old’s younger brother Timothy is on trial after being accused of sexually abusing a schoolboy, and allegedly confessing to Phillip.
Phillip Schofield’s younger brother Timothy Schofield, 54, has been charged with 11 counts of sexual offences against a schoolboy. https://t.co/hPpN4GLvVY
— Maizy Daizy 🌼 (@MaizyDaizyZzzz) March 28, 2023
Timothy faces 11 charges of sexual offences committed against the teenager over a period of three years from October 2016; he has denied all the charges against him.
The 54-year-old reportedly had an “obsessive sexual interest” in a teenager and confided in his older brother Phillip about it.
The jury heard that the abuse progressed from October 2016 until August 2021, when the alleged victim confronted Timothy and said “things” need to stop.
The court heard that the following month the 54-year-old contacted his older brother.
Timothy #Schofield, 54, a Civilian #Police worker is standing trial at Exeter Crown Court, accused of 11 charges of interfering with a child, beginning when the alleged victim was a teenager. https://t.co/QxDVyqJUws
— Woody (@huytonfreeman) March 28, 2023
The alleged victim is said to have started counselling in November 2021, and the therapist alerted the police of the abuse claims; Timothy was arrested days later.
In a police interview played in court, the teenager said: “It was horrible, like truly,” adding that Timothy bought a projector to watch pornography together.
Some adult film included “violent” acts and animals, the court heard.
The alleged victim said he realised Timothy “had this whole fantasy to be sexually active with me” and accused him of developing the “scheme” over a number of years.
Timothy Schofield denies all chargeshttps://t.co/AoDmqE4hDf
— Metro Entertainment (@Metro_Ents) March 27, 2023
The teenager claims he was afraid to go to the police because the “evil and vile” 54-year-old had a “terrible temper” and that he was “very scared of the repercussions”.
When police arrested Timothy in December 2021, they raided his home, seizing electronic devices which showed browsing history for “young teen box set” and “gay teen porn torrents”.
The 54-year-old also had “a number of images” of “teenage boys in sexualised poses”, the court was told.
