Phillip Schofield

Phillip Bryan Schofield (SKOH-field) is an English television personality, known for presenting a wide range of high-profile programmes for the BBC and ITV from 1982 to 2023; presenting BBC programmes from 1985 to 1993 and 2001 to 2006 and ITV programmes from 1993 to 2023. Born in Oldham and raised in Newquay, Schofield became the first in-vision continuity presenter for Children's BBC (CBBC) on weekdays for two years from 1985 in the Broom Cupboard, accompanied by Gordon the Gopher, whom Schofield worked with on several other projects including a CBBC series. He left in 1987 to present Going Live! On Saturday mornings between 1987 and 1993, also hosting the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party between 1988 and 1991. From 2002 to 2023, Schofield presented This Morning, where he was accompanied by several co-hosts including Fern Britton and Holly Willoughby. His other television work included Dancing on Ice, All Star Mr & Mrs and The Cube. Besides television, Schofield performed in the musicals Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Doctor Dolittle, hosted The British Soap Awards from 2006 to 2022, and did numerous adverts for We Buy Any Car. In February 2020, Schofield came out as gay and separated from his wife of 27 years. In May 2023, he admitted that before leaving his wife he had carried on an extramarital affair with a much younger male ITV co-worker and had lied about it to ITV's management, his work colleagues, his lawyers, his agents and his friends and family. He had first met the co-worker while giving a talk at the drama school where the latter was then a 15-year-old student. Schofield later arranged a job interview for the co-worker at This Morning, where he was hired as a production assistant. Schofield stated that the affair had begun when the co-worker was 20 years old, at which point Schofield was in his mid-50s. Amid extensive media coverage, Schofield resigned from ITV, was removed as an ambassador for the Prince's Trust, and was dropped by the talent agency that had represented him for over 35 years. Following his resignation, he gave separate interviews to the BBC and The Sun, in which he denied grooming the man. Although he acknowledged the age difference, Schofield said he believed homophobia was a factor in the media coverage, suggesting that an affair with a woman would not have created such a scandal.