Phillip Schofield speaks out in first interview since affair confession: ‘I did not groom him’-Emily Bashforth-Entertainment – Metro

Phillip Schofield has spoken out for the first time in a sit-down interview since confessing to an affair with a much younger male colleague at This Morning

The affair happened while he was married to his wife and before coming out as gay in 2020.

Schofield, 61, resigned from ITV with ‘immediate effect’ due to lying about the relationship, issuing an apology to his family, colleagues, and bosses.

He has kept a low profile since his tell-all statement was sent to the Daily Mail last week, sharing just one Instagram Story since and staying with his mother in Cornwall.

However, he approached The Sun to tell his side of the story, saying he is ‘broken’ by how things have unfolded, but insists he is ‘not a groomer’.

Talking to The Sun and visibly shaking, Schofield said: ‘I did not, I did not (groom him).

‘There are accusations of all sorts of things. It never came across that way (an abuse of power) because we’d become mates. I don’t know about that.

‘But of course I understand that there will be a massive judgment, but bearing in mind, I have never exercised that anywhere else.

‘I assume somebody, somewhere, assumed something was going on, correctly, and didn’t say anything.

‘At the time I did not think about it possibly ruining my career. I really probably only thought about it when I saw the rumour mill, and saw it growing.

‘Then I saw the link with the drama school photo all those years before, and thought, “This looks shocking”.

‘But I didn’t lie to protect my career, he didn’t want his name in public. He wanted his own life.

‘The lies grew bigger and bigger and bigger and it was affecting both of us deeply.

‘It got to the stage where it was out of control and for whatever cost, it had to stop.’

Schofield went on: ‘I have massive guilt, and regret. I’ve made a mistake, I’ve had an affair at work.’

He said his ‘greatest apology’ must go to the former colleague.

‘It has brought the greatest misery into his totally innocent life, his totally innocent family, his totally innocent friends. It has brought the greatest grief to them.’

He added that he hasn’t spoken to him since the media storm began, but when he saw it was ‘getting out of control’, he paid for his lawyers to work independently on his behalf.

He admits this was a mistake.

‘I am deeply sorry and I apologise to him because I should have known better. I should have acted the way I have always acted. I should not have done it.

‘I’m sorry. And I will forever be sorry. I will die sorry. I am so deeply mortified.’

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