Phillip Schofield: Timeline of ITV departure after colleague affair and Willoughby ‘rift’

Phillip Schofield has left ITV and won’t current The British Soap Awards after admitting to an affair with a youthful colleague.

Schofield revealed the relationship in a statement to the Daily Mail newspaper on Friday.

The 61-year-old – who has additionally cut up from his agent – described his relationship with the person as “unwise, but not illegal”.

The admission comes after the presenter departed This Morning with “immediate effect” following hypothesis over his relationship with co-host Holly Willoughby.

Schofield said he understood ITV had decided “the current situation cannot go on”.

Willoughby launched a brief assertion, saying the sofa would not be the same without him.

The pair was once agency buddies, with their households even taking annual holidays collectively.

Sky News takes a take a look at how their relationship began and the place the cracks began to point out.

Monday, 29 May: Minutes earlier than This Morning begins, Schofield hits out at “the same handful of people with a grudge against me or the show”.

An hour later, a tweet from former colleague Eamonn Holmes describes him as “delusional” and a “liar”, including that he has “picked the wrong person… if you’re looking for a fight”.

Presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary additionally reference the scandal on air, acknowledging they “happen to be in the news at the moment” and say they “love making the show”.

Sunday, 28 May: Former This Morning resident physician Ranj Singh claims “the issues with This Morning go far beyond” Schofield and describes it as “toxic”. He says he “took his concerns right to the top of ITV”, however a spokesperson replies that whereas the broadcaster was “sorry” to listen to his feedback, an invesitgation discovered no proof of bullying.

Saturday, 27 May: ITV releases an announcement saying it investigated “rumours of a relationship” between Schofield and a youthful worker – however the pair “repeatedly denied” the affair.

Holly Willoughby also accuses Schofield of lying to her concerning the affair. “When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not,” she wrote on Instagram. “It’s been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie.”

Friday, 26 May: Schofield releases statement admitting affair with “much younger man” and saying he’s stepping down from ITV and won’t be concerned within the British Soap Awards.

Monday, 22 May: Presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary pay tribute to Schofield within the first present since he introduced his exit – describing him as “one of the best live television broadcasters this country has ever had”, and “wishing him all the best for the future”.

Sunday, 21 May: It is introduced Hammond and O’Leary will take over presenting duties for Monday’s programme. Willoughby is to stay on the present however will take early half-term vacation depart earlier than she is anticipated to return on 5 June, ITV says.

Saturday, 20 May: The presenter pronounces he’s stepping down from This Morning with rapid impact after greater than 20 years on the programme.

Monday, 15 May: As rumours intensify, Schofield and Willoughby placed on a united entrance on the present – however viewers are involved by the pair discussing headlines however failing to handle the continuing “feud.”

Thursday, 11 May: Amid ongoing hypothesis about their cooling relationship, Schofield hails Willoughby as his “rock” whereas admitting “the last few weeks haven’t been easy for either of us”.

In an announcement, Schofield told The Sun newspaper: “As I have said before, Holly is my rock. We’re the best of friends – as always, she is an incredible support on screen, behind the scenes and on the phone.

“Holly has all the time been there for me, via thick and skinny. And I’ve been there for her.”

Wednesday, 10 May: The Sun reviews Schofield and Willoughby are “barely speaking” – citing “insiders” who claimed their relationship had “cooled” and points had “rumbled for some time”.

Monday, 17 April: The first present after the Easter break ought to have seen each hosts again on the sofa after Schofield took depart whereas his brother, Timothy, was on trial for child sexual offences.

But whereas Schofield thanks followers for his or her assist as he returned to This Morning for the primary time since his paedophile sibling was convicted, Willoughby is absent.

She pronounces she has shingles and shall be away from the show for every week.

Following his brother’s conviction, Schofield brands the crimes “despicable” and says: “As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother.”

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The co-hosts’ previous relationship

2006: The pair first work collectively on ITV’s Dancing On Ice.

2009: Willoughby joins ITV’s This Morning, changing Fern Britton. In his memoir, Schofield pinpointed a row between the co-hosts over the content material of a present because the catalyst for Britton’s departure.

2011: Willoughby leaves Dancing On Ice and begins presenting The Voice, then on BBC1.

2017: Willoughby reportedly negotiates a pay rise to match Schofield’s wage of £600,000. She was reportedly on round £400,000 earlier than that.

2018: Willoughby returns to Dancing On Ice.

2020: Schofield comes out as gay after 27 years of marriage.

Willoughby interviews him about it on This Morning, telling him: “I will be by your side forever.”

She additionally posts {a photograph} of the 2 of them on Instagram, and writes: “Never been more proud of my friend than I am today.”

2022: The pair face accusations of queue jumping at the late Queen’s lying in state. More than 37,000 individuals signed a petition for them to be axed from This Morning.

Addressing the backlash, the hosts insist they had been solely there in a journalistic capability and adopted the foundations set for media.