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The younger colleague with whom Phillip Schofield admitted to having an affair was reportedly 15 years old when the pair first met.
Ex-This Morning star Schofield first met his future colleague while he was giving a talk at a theatre school, according to a national newspaper.
The report comes after Schofield’s former co-host Holly Willoughby said he previously denied to her having a relationship with a younger ITV colleague – adding his admission now is “very hurtful”.
“When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not,” she said.
“It’s been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie.”
READ MORE:Dan Wootton claims ITV ‘dismissed’ Phillip Schofield affair in fresh attack
The Mail on Sunday claims Schofield, 61, was forced to confirm allegations of an affair were true in a statement on Friday because the young man in question – who had also worked on This Morning – had told his lawyers about it.
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Schofield had reportedly hired top law firm Mishcon de Reya to be the man’s legal representation.
The man, now in his mid-20s, reportedly told his lawyers about the relationship because he was tired of keeping it a secret.
It is reported that Schofield first met the individual at the school in North West England when he was in his late 40s.
In Friday’s statement, Schofield said: “I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.
“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.”
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