Phillip Schofield claims another TV presenter had a secret age-gap affair – but it hasn’t been exposed yet
PHILLIP Schofield has claimed another TV presenter had a secret age-gap affair – but it hasn’t been exposed yet.
The former This Morning host, 62, opened up about being ‘thrown under a bus’ by former ITV colleagues on Channel 5‘s Cast Away.
During the second episode, which aired earlier this week, Phillip reflected on the affair scandal that led to his exit from the show.
Speaking to the camera, he said: “Shamed, disgraced Phillip Schofield who had an affair.
“Strangely, I think another TV presenter or two might have done exactly the same thing. Difference is, heterosexual.”
Phillip then insisted that age gap relationships are “not an unusual thing in the gay world”.
The ex Dancing On Ice presenter suggested the public would have reacted differently if his affair had been with a woman.
He continued: “If that had been the case with me and it had been a woman. Pat on the back. ‘Well done mate’.”
During the three-part documentary, which saw him survive alone on a desert island off Madagascar for ten days, Phillip blamed his downfall on a trio of leading figures at ITV — branding them the “three sh**s” of showbiz.
Among those he appears to take aim at are his former This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby and This Morning editor Martin Frizell.
Phil seems to blame the latter for letting him take the flak over “Queuegate”, when he and Holly were accused of skipping the queue to see the late Queen lying in state.
Other targets could include ITV chief Dame Carolyn McCall.
Phillip was forced to leave This Morning after 22 years following a fling with a much younger man who worked as a runner on the show.
Talking about his 40-year TV career, he says: “They know how important that was to me.
“They know when you throw someone under a bus, you’ve got to have a really bloody good reason to do it. Brand, ambition is not good enough.”
He goes on: “People can be fake. They can be so fake with you when it’s all going well, and suddenly utter, utter betrayal.
“There are a lot of amazing people in morning television.
“I think there are only three sh*s. One of them is a coward who never stepped up in queuegate.
“One is a coward because they never stepped up when I was being battered and the other is just brand-orientated.
“Not what you expect, not what you think you’re going to get.”
Elsewhere in the three-parter, Phillip hints the show is his showbiz swansong.
He says: “They’ve taken pretty much everything. Reputation, dignity, legacy, everything.
“I’m not bleating, I’m just getting it off my chest. And anyone who’s bitter about that, honestly, you can f* off ’cause I don’t give a s*t. I quit.”
On last night’s final episode, Phillip said he would never work in daytime television again – and has no TV plans for the future.
A producer asked the star: “What’s next?”
Phil replied: “Nothing. Nothing. I’m happy with nothing.
“I’ve got family and friends and a dog.
“This is my new happy place.”
He also said: “Look, I love telly. I’ve got telly in my bones.
“But I won’t sit on a sofa again. I’m not going to do that again.
“And there are some people I won’t work for again. Some people I won’t work with again.
“I’ve been hurt so badly by that sort of telly that you get to the point where you think ‘I don’t want to do it anymore’.”
Phil also revealed how he didn’t quit This Morning but rather was sacked by bosses.