Phillip Schofield has admitted to having an affair with a much younger man while he was still married. As reported by <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/phillip-schofield-admits-affair-with-much-younger-man-and-steps-down-from-itv-role-12890246">Sky News</a>, the 61-year-old former This Morning presenter has stepped down from his role at the British Soap Awards with ITV. The man whom Schofield had an affair with was an ITV employee. In a statement shared with the Daily Mail, Schofield said he was "deeply sorry" for lying about the relationship to ITV, his colleagues, loved ones, and agents. "I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning," Schofield 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." Schofield then admits that - although the relationship was not illegal - it was "unwise" and it is now over. The presenter parted ways with his former agents, YMU Group, on Thursday (May 25) over the revelation. Mary Bekhait, CEO of YMU Group, has since commented on the news, and stressed that "honesty and integrity" were key factors in their business. After Schofield shared his important new information", the company deemed that it"contradicted" what the Dancing On Ice presenter had previously told them, and "as a result, on Thursday we agreed to part company with Phillip, with immediate effect." In February 2020, Schofield took to Instagram to announce that he was gay - something he was able to "come to terms with" thanks to the support from his daughters and wife of 27 years, Stephanie Lowe. Schofield and Lowe separated shortly after. [[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/dgrAVeYR-YXhMkIor.mp4||dgrAVeYR]] At the time of his coming out, Schofield told <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/10924154/philip-schofield-suicide-sexuality/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Sun</a>: "Steph is my closest confidante. She's been amazing. I have no secrets from Steph." This news also comes around a week after Schofield's stepped down from his role on the popular daytime TV show, This Morning, amid rumors that he had fallen out with long-time co-host and friend, Holly Willoughby. I have always been proud to cover fascinating stories on This Morning. But recently, This Morning itself has become the story," Schofield said in a statement last week. "Throughout my career in TV - including the very difficult last few days - I have always done my best to be honorable and kind. "I understand that ITV has decided the current situation can't go on, and I want to do what I can to protect the show that I love. "So I have agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect, in the hope that the show can move forward to a bright future." And on May 19, the presenter's brother, Timothy Schofield, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of 11 sexual offenses involving a child between 2016 and 2019. <h6>Featured image credit: VT</h6>

Phillip Schofield has admitted to having an affair with a much younger man

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