Phillip Schofield latest: Ex-ITV host won’t watch This Morning as Holly Willoughby returns
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Phillip Schofield has said he will not be watching his former co-host’s return to This Morning on Monday (June 5) , saying it will be ‘too distressing’ for him. The news comes amid backlash over Schofield’s affair with a younger man.
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Hide AdHolly Willoughby is expected to return to the ITV daytime show after an extended half-term holiday. This will be the first time she has made a public appearance since Schofield admitted to lying about having an affair with a younger male employee at This Morning whilst still married to his wife.
Sources close to Schofield told a major newspaper daily that even watching the opening credits could be too distressing for the 61-year-old, who said he had been suffering with suicidal thoughts.
Willoughby’s return to This Morning is expected to begin with her addressing Schofield’s departure from the show. According to reports, she has personally prepared a statement to tell viewers how difficult the period has been.
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Hide AdThe report said: “She will be honest and open, mentioning him by name. She’s not shying away from the tricky subject as she wants to show up for the viewers and loyal fans.”
Schofield had last week given two sit-down interviews since admitting to the affair through a statement, in which he stressed he was “ashamed” of what he did but denied grooming his former colleague whom he had an affair with.
He said the affair was “a grave error” and he “shouldn’t have done it” as he battles with suicidal thoughts since the scandal was made public. He insisted the pair were “not boyfriends” and they only had five or six romantic encounters over a few months, adding they had a ‘consensual’ relationship but admitted it was his fault as he was older.
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Hide AdHe also cast doubts over his future in his TV career, adding: “I have to talk about television in the past tense, which breaks my heart…I have lost everything. What am I going to do with my days? I see nothing ahead of me but blackness, and sadness, and regret, and remorse, and guilt. I did something very wrong, and then I lied about it consistently."
Schofield said his daughters had helped him cope with suicidal thoughts in recent days. He said: “...if my daughters hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be here. They’ve been by my side every moment because they’re scared to let me out of their sight."
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