The latest news on Phillip Schofield involves the presenter reportedly refusing to cooperate with the inquiry into his behaviour on ITV series This Morning.
Former co-host Phillip, 61, left the flagship daytime programme – and ITV – in May. His departure followed accusations of an affair with a younger male colleague. The married TV star had fronted This Morning for over two decades.
Phillip and his former lover were expected to be questioned as part of the external review.
However, it was today revealed they both refused to cooperate.
Phillip Schofield latest: Star ‘reluctantly declined’ invite to be questioned
According to reports, Phillip “reluctantly declined” an invitation to participate “because of the risk to his health”.
Furthermore, it was stated that the telly personality’s “mental health has since deteriorated”.
And in another eye-opening finding, the review also added that only one person out of 48 interviewed said they knew of the affair before the scandal broke publicly.
The report reads: “Only one person to whom I spoke had any knowledge of an affair between [Phillip Schofield] and [his former lover] prior to May 2023 (they became aware in 2021) and that former junior employee did not report their knowledge at the time.
“Nor did others report suspicions from much earlier in 2017.”
Holly Willoughby latest
The investigation, which started in June and was scheduled to take 12 weeks, found “considerable efforts” were made to discover the truth about the relationship. However, relevant evidence was not uncovered until Phillip admitted the affair.
Furthermore, it was anticipated that other This Morning stars, including Holly Willoughby, Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary would be interviewed.
However, none of them were referred to in the report. It’s unclear if they were questioned.
‘Open secret’ denial
The review was ordered by ITV chief Dame Carolyn McCall after Phillip admitted lying to cover up his affair.
She told the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in June she first became aware of a rumour about the relationship in December 2019.
Phillip and the colleague involved both “categorically denied” any affair.
Dame Carolyn said at the time: “I want to be clear it was Phillip putting him under pressure, not ITV putting him under pressure. They are two quite different things.”
She also denied the affair was an “open secret” at ITV.
ED! has approached representatives for Phillip Schofield and This Morning for comment.
How social media users have reacted
Following press reports about the inquiry’s findings, social media users were divided as they offered their snap judgements.
“I genuinely feel sorry for Philip Schofield, he done nothing illegal,” one Twitter user wrote.
However, someone else reflected: “Surprise, surprise everyone at that programme knew nothing about what went off.”
And another sceptic posted: “So the Schofield inquiry finds what it was meant to find – ‘nothing to see here’.”
“What a surprise,” blasted a fourth.
Read more: Miriam Margolyes criticises ‘venomous’ public reaction to Phillip Schofield affair scandal
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