Phillip Schofield is one of Britain’s most well-known television personalities for the most extended-running programmes like This Morning and Dancing on Ice, for instance, which are both presented by him on ITV. However, he has undergone a complete about-face over the last year upon confessing to having sex with a minor colleague, culminating in his exit from his highly publicized programme.
Who is Phillip Schofield?
Philip Bryan Schofield, who is also popularly known as Philip, is an English television presenter, journalist, and actor who was born on April 1 1962, in Oldham, Lancashire, England. At age 19 years old, he relocated to New Zealand with his kinship and kick-started his career at Shazam!
In 1985, he came back to the United Kingdom and was the very first in-vision continuity presenter for Children’s BBC, who worked in a tiny room called “the Broom Cupboard.” His friendliness towards the youth, coupled with his humorous nature, made him famous among young viewers. Many youngsters watched his shows alongside his puppet sidekick, Gordon the Gopher.
Phillip Schofield’s Net Worth
Some sources estimate his net worth to be about 12 million US dollars in 2023. His wealth comes from his TV salary, his book deal, his production company and his endorsements. He is a citizen of the UK and New Zealand on both sides.
Professional Career
In 1987, he left Children’s BBC to host Going Live! It was an American weekend show broadcast Saturday morning comprising cartoons, music, comedy and celebrity guests. Additionally, he presented the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party, which is a yearly awards function of pop music between 1988 and 1991. Moreover, he became an actor starring in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat” and “Doctor Dolittle”.
He started in mainstream television in the early nineties, moving to adult-oriented television where he presented programs like Schofield’s Quest, Schofield’s TV Gold and Ten Ball. From 1994 to 1997, he also hosted Talking Television Numbers, which was a game show that had contestants calling random telephone numbers and giving away prizes to them. In 1996, he hosted One in a Million, a show that discussed phenomenal coincidences.
In 2002, he moved to This Morning, a weekly morning TV programme that deals with various subjects, including news, health, lifestyle, entertainment and consumer affairs. Together with Fern Britton, he hosted the program until 2009, when Willoughby Holly replaced Britton.
The pair was one of the most loved and successful partnerships in UK TV, achieving various awards and generating big audiences. From 2006 to 2014 and between 2018 -2023, they also hosted Dancing on Ice, a reality competition where celebrities perform different kinds of movements on a block of ice together with professionals.
Schofield is also the author of two books: An autobiography, Life’s What You Make It, and How to Be a Silver Fox: A Guide to Graceful Ageing.
What happened to Phillip Schofield?
In February 2020, Schofield made a shocking announcement on This Morning: this was after being in a heterosexual marriage with his wife for twenty-seven years. He confessed that he suffered from his sexuality for quite some time. Further he stated that his family and friends stood beside him throughout this challenging phase. Besides, he noted that he was not yet prepared for dating and desired secrecy in his private life.
The public had varied reactions to his revelations. He got some appreciation for courage and truthfulness. Phillip also received a lot of blame for being self-centred and untrue to his wife and kids. Others questioned his timing and even went as far as suggesting he may have wanted to prevent an outbreak of scandals or boost sales of his autobiography.
Phillip Admitting Being Gay
In May 2023, however, another bombshell dropped: He confessed that he was involved in a sexual affair with a male ITV employee who was more than thirty years younger than him. He also admitted lying to the management of ITV, co-workers, lawyers and agents, among others, that he was in a relationship with Sarah Fergusson. He said he fell in love with the person, but he knew that it was not right, so they stopped.
This resulted in a massive outcry from the media and the public. Schofield was labelled unprofessional, hypocritical, manipulative and deceptive. His former lover also filed a lawsuit against him, claiming he had failed to fulfil his agreement as well as breached his confidence and caused her emotional distress. He had only himself to blame because he lost all his £10 million fortune in divorce, which his wife, who was also known among media as a “gold digger”, successfully requested half of it. It is said that his daughters stopped talking to him.
Consequences of the Phillip Schofield Scandal
The scandal led to the resignation of Phillip Schofield from This Morning with immediate effect. He noted that he knew how ITV felt about the situation and how much he cherished the program. Also, he tendered his apology to all his well-wishers, saying he was utterly destroyed.
Holly Willoughby, his co-worker, said she was sad he went but thanked him for his knowledge, experience and humour. She stated that the Sofa would be the same with him. Her colleagues at This Morning will still work with her.
It has, however, respected his choice and said that he could serve them with two beautiful decades of TV programming. It said it would continue collaborating on the British Soap Awards, among others and a new peak time series.
Future of Schofield on Television
The future for Schofield on television remains to be determined. His status, creditability and following have faded away. In addition, he has lost his family, friends, and fans. He has stated that his career has ended, and he has lost everything. He has also mentioned that he is consulting psychologists to manage stress and mood swings.
Family
Phillip’s family comprises a wife, a son, a daughter, and an older brother.
Partner
Phillip Schofield and his wife, Stephanie Lowe, have been together since 1993. However, Phillip has been recently gone and vacated the house following his declaration that he is a homosexual, as we speak in the year 2020.
Children
Phillip and Stephanie have two daughters from their marriage, Ruby and Molly Lowe.
Parents
In 2008, Brian Phillip’s father passed on as a result of heart failure. Phillip once saved his life through CPR administration when he stumbled. Philip’s mom, Pat, is alive and supports him to date.
Brother
Phil Schofield’s youngest sibling and his cousin, Timothy Schofield, got jailed for 12 years (from May 2023). In December 2021, Timothy was found to have sexually harassed a boy from 2016 to 2019. Philips’s brother, Timothy, has been accused of a terrible act; this crime has made Philips disown her brother. For more crime and horror related stories, you can follow the detailed story on Alex Murdaugh by California Brut.
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How did you perceive Philip Schoefield?
Phillip Schofield is a highly controversial personality. Many have liked and respected him as a presenter for those long years. He is, however, someone of imperfection and malice that has left his fair share of scars on many. Courage and vulnerability have been witnessed in him, yet he has also exhibited selfishness and deception. He created history and got into the limelight, but he also committed blunders and had opponents at his heels.
How do you feel about Philip Schofield? Will you like him or hate him? Do you feel sorry for him, or do you blame him? Will you forgive him, forget him? Feel free to share your views in the comment section.
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