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UPDATE: ITV presenter Phillip Schofield has been dropped by his agents at YMU Group.
The parting of ways with YMU comes as Schofield confirmed to the Daily Mail that he had an affair with a young male ITV staff member while still married. (The presenter came out as gay in February 2020 and is now estranged from his wife.) He has now resigned from ITV ‘with immediate effect’ and also stepped down from hosting the British Soap Awards in June.
In a lengthy statement, Schofield said: “Contrary to speculation, while I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him get into television, it’s only “after he started working on the show it became more than just a friendship. That relationship was reckless, but not illegal. It’s now over.
YMU confirmed Variety on Friday that he “parted ways” with Schofield, who last week stepped down as host of ITV’s “This Morning” after 21 years on the air. The presenter’s exit follows persistent rumors of a split with co-host Holly Willoughby which was linked to her younger brother’s sexual assault trial.
Timothy Schofield was convicted of 11 counts relating to the sexual assault of a child between 2016 and 2019, and was jailed last week for 12 years. During the trial, the court heard that Timothy Schofield confessed to his crimes to his older brother two months before the start of the criminal proceedings, to which the presenter replied: “I don’t want you to tell me about it anymore. .. You have to stop, never do it again. No matter how it happened, it must never happen again.
Tabloid reports suggested Willoughby was upset that Schofield hadn’t discussed the issue with her, although she didn’t directly address their issues behind the scenes. The alleged falling out between the pair came as a shock to fans given their close bond outside of work. Willoughby also supported Schofield when he came out as gay on the show in 2020, writing on Instagram, “Never been more proud of my friend than I am today.”
In its statement, YMU suggested that it had recently learned “new information” about Schofield that caused them to sever ties with their longtime client. The agency did not provide further details, but news of Schofield’s admission to the affair broke within the hour in the Daily Mail.
Mary Bekhait, YMU Group CEO, said, “Honesty and integrity are core values for all of YMU’s businesses, defining everything we do. Talent management is a relationship based entirely on trust.
“This week we learned some important new information about our client Phillip Schofield. These facts contradicted what Phillip had previously told YMU, as well as the outside advisors we brought in to support him. As a result, on Thursday we agreed to part ways with Phillip, effective immediately.
In a statement shared with Variety via his legal representatives, Schofield said, “It is with the deepest regret that after 35 years of flawless stewardship by YMU, I have agreed to resign from their representation with immediate effect.”
Schofield was replaced on “This Morning” by Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond. Willoughby will remain on the program, although she will take a short hiatus until her return in early June.
Read Schofield’s full statement below:
I am making this statement through the Daily Mail to whom I have already personally apologized for misleading, through my lawyer whom I also misled, a story they wanted to write about me there a few days ago.
The first thing I want to say is this: I am deeply sorry that I lied to them and so many others about a relationship I had with someone working on This Morning. I had a consensual relationship with a young male colleague from This Morning.
Contrary to speculation, while I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him get into TV, it wasn’t until after he started working on the show that it’s become more than just a friendship. This relationship was reckless, but not illegal. It is now over.
When I chose to go out, I did so entirely for my own well-being. No one “forced” me out. Neither I nor anyone else to my knowledge has ever issued any injunction, super or otherwise, regarding my relationship with this co-worker, he was never moved or fired by or because of me.
In an effort to protect my ex-colleague, I didn’t tell the truth about the relationship. But my recent departure, unrelated to This Morning, has fueled speculation and raised questions that have affected him, so for him it is important that I be honest now.
I am painfully aware of having lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore to the public and especially to my family. I’m so, so sorry, as I am for being unfaithful to my wife.
I have therefore decided to withdraw from the British Soap Awards, my final public engagement, and am resigning from ITV with immediate effect expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the incredible opportunities they have given me. I will reflect on my very poor judgment in both participating in the relationship and lying about it.
To protect his privacy, I do not name this individual and my deepest wish is that he and his family can now move on with their lives without any further intrusion, and that this statement allows them to do so. I now ask the media to respect their privacy. They did nothing wrong and I ask that their privacy be respected.