Phillip Schofield dropped by talent agency after 35 years amid bombshell ITV exit-Rishma Dosani-Entertainment – Metro

Phillip Schofield has been axed by YMU after 35 years (Picture: ITV)

Phillip Schofield has been dropped by his talent agency following his shock exit from This Morning.

After a lengthy stint on our screens, the 65-year-old departed his position on the ITV program – which he presented alongside close pal Holly Willoughby – last week.

He has since left ITV with ‘immediate effect’ after confirming that he had an ‘on-off’ affair with a younger colleague.

As well as this, he stepped down as host of the upcoming British Soap Awards, with a replacement yet to be announced.

In a bombshell move, it has now been announced that YMU has ‘parted company’ with Schofield after 35 years.

Mary Bekhait, the Group CEO of YMU Group, told Metro.co.uk in a statement: ‘Honesty and integrity are core values for YMU’s whole business, defining everything we do. Talent management is a relationship based entirely on trust.

Schofield has left ITV with immediate effect (Picture: PA)

‘This week, we have learned important new information about our client Phillip Schofield.

These facts contradicted what Phillip had previously told YMU, as well as the external advisors we had brought in to support him.

‘As a result, on Thursday we agreed to part company with Phillip, with immediate effect.’

Schofield told Metro.co.uk, via his lawyers, that he had ‘stepped down’ from being represented by the agency.

Phillip presented This Morning with Holly Willoughby (Picture: ITV)

‘It is with the most profound regret that after 35 years of being faultlessly managed by YMU I have agreed to step down from their representation with immediate effect,’ he added.

The news comes just after Schofield admitted to having an affair with a much younger man who worked behind the scenes on This Morning.

The presenter had served as the face of the weekday program for more than 20 years and came out as gay on the ITV sofa in moving scenes in 2020.

He announced his exit from the program last week amid reports of ‘tensions’ with Willoughby.

In a lengthy statement provided to Daily Mail earlier today, he admitted to having an affair with a younger colleague while he was still married to Stephanie Lowe, his wife of 30 years.

Schofield said that he met the unnamed man when he was a teenager – and that things developed into ‘more than a friendship’ after they began working together.

He insisted that, while he lied about this to his bosses and other colleagues, their relationship was ‘unwise but not illegal’.

‘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. 

‘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.

Phillip shared the news of the affair in a lengthy statement (Picture: ITV)

‘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,’ he added.

‘I will reflect on my very bad judgement in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

For more stories like this, check our entertainment page.

Follow Metro.co.uk Entertainment on Twitter and Facebook for the latest celeb and entertainment updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.

Entertainment – MetroRead More