Holly Willoughby says Phillip Schofield ‘directly’ lied to her over affair with younger colleague
Holly Willoughby has said Phillip Schofield lied to her about his affair with a much younger male colleague.
Speaking for the first time since Schofield admitted having an “unwise, but not illegal” affair, his former This Morning co-presenter wrote on Instagram: “It has taken time to process yesterday’s news.
“When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not.
“It’s been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie.”
On Friday, the veteran broadcaster quit ITV and admitted to having an affair with a colleague who worked on This Morning. Rumours of the relationship had first begun to circulate in 2020.
ITV said it had investigated – but both Schofield and the employee “repeatedly denied” the affair.
The broadcaster was forced to issue the statement after questions were raised over what network bosses knew about Schofield’s conduct.
Fellow former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes had said Schofield was “not the only guilty party” and claimed top management “knew what sort of man he was”.
Questions had also been raised about what his co-host, Ms Willoughby knew, something she has now hit back at with her statement.
Schofield, 61, left This Morning last week, amid reports his long-term friendship with Willoughby had come under strain.
The two have been open about their close friendship over the years, including sharing pictures on social media of them while on joint holidays with their families.
Holly made a statement via Instagram Stories. (Pic: Instagram)
What ITV said
In response to mounting pressure on the broadcaster, an ITV spokesperson said: “Further to our statement last night, ITV can confirm that when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate in early 2020 ITV investigated.
“Both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip’s then agency YMU.
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“In addition, ITV spoke to a number of people who worked on This Morning and were not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour.
“Phillip’s statement yesterday reveals that he lied to people at ITV, from senior management to fellow presenters, to YMU, to the media and to others over this relationship.”
Phillip Schofield in 2021
Schofield ‘deeply sorry’ for lying
In a statement on Friday, Schofield said he was “deeply sorry” for lying about the relationship.
It is understood the younger colleague, who is not a public figure, did not want the relationship to be made public.
The affair took place before Mr Schofield publicly came out as gay in 2020, and while he was still married to his wife Stephanie Lowe.
Read more:
Schofield leaves This Morning after more than 20 years
Timeline of departure and rumours of rift with co-host Holly
Statements from presenter and his agents in full
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Dermot O’Leary asked about Phillip Schofield
In a damning statement, his former agents YMU Group said “honesty and integrity” were core values of their business and that their relationships are “based entirely on trust”.
They have since parted ways with Schofield.
Willoughby is set to return to This Morning on 5 June.
Taylor Swift has said she will vote for Kamala Harris in the US election, giving her endorsement just minutes after the debate with Donald Trump ended.
The Instagram post showed her holding her cat Benjamin Button – a reference to Mr Trump’s running mate JD Vance‘s childless cat lady” comments.
Follow the latest on the Trump v Harris debate reaction here
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‘They’re eating pets in Springfield’
Swift urged her 283 million followers to “do your research,” but said AI-generated images of her supporting Mr Trump made her realise “I need to be very transparent about my actual plans”.
“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” she said. “I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.
“I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.
“I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate Tim Walz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”
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US debate in three minutes
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‘Massive star’ endorsement could be ‘huge’
Sky News US correspondent James Matthews said after her post that Swift’s endorsement is “huge” for the Harris-Walz campaign.
“She is a massive star, huge,” he said. “She speaks to people in a way that politicians do not, and the message from Taylor Swift will resonate with a huge audience far beyond the kind of people watching what has gone on here.
“The timing will not have been an accident. Tonight, the headline is Taylor Swift. Tomorrow, all the talk is going to be about Kamala Harris and Taylor Swift and the momentum that will be behind her.”
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
It marks the first time Swift has spoken on the 2024 election. While the Style hitmaker did endorse Joe Biden in 2020, she did so only a month before election day.
However, despite her worldwide fame and popularity even Taylor Swift cannot escape the vicissitudes of American politics. The number of people following her on social media fell following her post.
Entertainment
US actor who voiced Master Splinter in original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series dies
US voice actor Peter Renaday, best known for his role as Master Splinter in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, has died aged 89.
His former Ninja Turtles castmate Townsend Coleman, who voiced Michelangelo in the show, confirmed the news in a post on the X social media platform on Tuesday.
Renaday voiced Master Splinter, a wise and stoic mutant rat who was the turtles’ adoptive half-father and martial arts teacher, between 1987 and 1996.
Police carried out a welfare check at the voice actor’s home in Burbank, California, on Sunday and found him dead inside, according to TMZ.
His niece Mindy Zachary told the celebrity news site that his air conditioning had been out and his home had been hot due to a recent heatwave in California.
She added that his cause of death has not been confirmed but the family feels it does not need further investigation.
Coleman, 70, said he was “devastated” by the the death of our “dear sensei” – a term the ninja turtles would sometimes use to refer to Master Splinter.
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Master Splinter in the original series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Pic: LMX Flix
He continued: “Pete was one of the most genuine, salt of the earth people I have ever known and I will miss him dearly. I had the privilege of visiting with him a month ago and he was as vibrant as ever, at 89 just as endearingly silly, smart and talented as I’ve always known him to be.
“Ugh, this is hard… a Disney legend and our dear Master Splinter – rest well, my sweet friend.”
Renaday also voiced Abraham Lincoln in The Hall Of Presidents – a major attraction at Walt Disney World in Florida.
He also had minor roles in a 1992 animated series of Batman and the Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries between 1995 and 1999.
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