Phillip Schofield has departed ITV (Picture: ITV)
Eamonn Holmes has spoken out over Phillip Schofield’s shock exit from ITV, declaring that he has ‘finally been caught out’.
Earlier today, the former This Morning host confessed to having an affair with a much younger staff member behind the scenes, and lying to ‘his bosses and other colleagues’ about his actions.
In a lengthy statement, the 61-year-old also stepped down from his roles at ITV and bowed out of hosting the upcoming British Soap Awards.
Shortly after the news broke, he was dropped by his talent agency of 35 years.
Following the news, Holmes – who previously ripped into his former ITV castmate – took to Twitter to discuss the update, and alleged that people higher up at the corporation were in the know.
‘Schofield has finally been caught out … But he’s not the only guilty party,’ the 63-year-old posted.
Eamonn spoke out on Twitter
‘4 high members of ITV management knew what sort of man he was …and NEVER once took action …’
Holmes did not clarify his comment any further, while ITV bosses have yet to speak out over Schofield’s exit, or the news of his affair.
Piers Morgan also discussed the admission on Twitter, days after penning a column expressing his empathy for the way his former ITV co-star’s This Morning exit had gone down.
The ex-Good Morning Britain host quote-tweeted an article with the message: ‘Blimey’, and a wide-eye emoji.
Eamonn and Phil have previously shared the ITV screen together
He went on to retweet another message, which read: ‘A lot more questions about who knew what when at ITV to be answered after this…’
Schofield served as host of This Morning for more than 20 years before departing the program last week – amid reports of mounting tension with co-star Holly Willoughby.
Earlier today, he released a bombshell statement to the Daily Mail, in which he admitted to having an affair with a much younger colleague while he was still married to his wife of 30 years, Stephanie Lowe.
Phil announced his exit from ITV earlier today (Picture: ITV)
He said that he met the man – who he refused to name for privacy reasons – when he was a teenager, and that things developed into ‘more than a friendship’ after they began working together.
The former Dancing On Ice presenter described their relationship as ‘unwise but not illegal’, and confessed that he lied to his bosses and other colleagues about their bond.
‘I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning,’ he said. ‘Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over.
He departed This Morning amid reports of tension with Holly Willoughby (Picture: ITV)
‘In an effort to protect my ex-colleague I haven’t been truthful about the relationship. But my recent, unrelated, departure from This Morning fueled speculation and raised questions which have been impacting him, so for his sake it is important for me to be honest now.
‘I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife.’
Phillip Schofield statement in full
‘I am making this statement via the Daily Mail to whom I have already apologised personally for misleading, through my lawyer who I also misled, about a story which they wanted to write about me a few days ago.
‘The first thing I want to say is: I am deeply sorry for having lied to them, and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on This Morning. I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.
‘Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over.
‘When I chose to come out I did so entirely for my own wellbeing. Nobody “forced” me out. Neither I nor anyone else, to my knowledge, has ever issued an injunction, super or otherwise, about my relationship with this colleague, he was never moved on or sacked by or because of me. In an effort to protect my ex-colleague I haven’t been truthful about the relationship.
‘But my recent, unrelated, departure from This Morning fuelled speculation and raised questions which have been impacting him, so for his sake it is important for me to be honest now.
‘I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife.
‘I have therefore decided to step down from the British Soap Awards, my last public commitment, and am resigning from ITV with immediate effect expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me.
‘I will reflect on my very bad judgment in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it. To protect his privacy, I am not naming this individual and my deepest wish is that both he and his family can now move on with their lives free from further intrusion, and that this statement will enable them to do so.
‘I ask the media now to respect their privacy. They have done nothing wrong, and I ask that their privacy should be respected.’
‘I have therefore decided to step down from the British Soap Awards, my last public commitment, and am resigning from ITV with immediate effect expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me,’ he added.
‘I will reflect on my very bad judgement in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted ITV for a comment.
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Schofield left ITV today.
