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This Morning have broken their silence over Phillip Schofield as it emerged that he won’t be returning to the show for weeks amid his brother’s sex abuse trial.
The presenter has been missing from the famous sofa this week as his younger brother Timothy Schofield, 54, stands trial for sex charges – with his co-star Holly Willoughby joined by other presenters.
And while the ITV daytime show has remained tight-lipped over Phillip’s absence, they did share a special message on Instagram for the star on Saturday to mark his 61st birthday.
Alongside a picture of Phillip smiling on set with a confetti effect falling around him, This Morning write: ‘Happy birthday @schofe, from everyone at This Morning.’
This was accompanied by other images of Phillip on the show, with snaps including one of him laughing with longtime co-star Holly, 42, and cuddling up to fellow presenter Alison Hammond, 48.
Reaching out: This Morning have broken their silence over Phillip Schofield as it emerged that he won’t be returning to the show for weeks amid his brother’s sex abuse trial
Absent: The presenter has been missing from the famous sofa this week as his younger brother Timothy Schofield, 54, stands trial for sex charges – with his co-star Holly Willoughby joined by other presenters
Unlike This Morning’s previous Instagram posts, the comments were turned off for this amid the ongoing trial against Phillip’s brother.
Schofield has been absent from the programme since Monday and will also miss next week, meaning that duo Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary – who usually present the show on Fridays – will take over the reins.
Earlier this week Alison Hammond stepped in for Schofield alongside Holly Willoughby, before Joel Dommett, 37, filled in on Wednesday.
It was announced during the show on Thursday that Alison and Dermot, 49, will replace the pair for their usual two-week Easter break.
The duo’s break had already been scheduled by ITV, but it will mean Schofield will miss at least three weeks of shows before he returns to air.
Timothy Schofield faces a total of 11 charges of sexual offences against a young teenage boy over three years from October 2016.
He denies all the charges against him, which include performing sex acts in front of his accuser, causing him to watch sex acts and engage in sex acts.
Phil’s usual co-host Holly Willoughby made light of the 60-year-old presenter’s absence on Monday: ‘Phil is having a week off so all the adults have left the building and Alison has come!’
Message: While the ITV daytime show has remained tight-lipped over Phillip’s absence, they did share a special message on Instagram for the star on Saturday to mark his 61st birthday
Nice gesture: Alongside a picture of Phillip smiling on set with a confetti effect falling around him, This Morning write: ‘Happy birthday @schofe, from everyone at This Morning’
Fun times: This was accompanied by other images of Phillip on the show, with snaps including one of him laughing with longtime co-star Holly, 42
Sweet: Phil is seen cuddling up to fellow presenter Alison Hammond, 48, in another picture
It has not yet been confirmed when Holly and Phil will return to This Morning as a duo, but it will now be at least several weeks.
Holly herself mentioned in the programme that she would be off screens for ‘a couple of weeks’.
Phil is a witness in the trial and a statement from the presenter was this week read to the court, after Schofield allegedly confessed a sex act he had performed with the teenager to his older brother.
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The TV presenter told his brother it ‘should never happen again’ and later gave a statement to police which forms part of the case against his younger sibling, the court was told.
Exeter Crown court this week heard how Schofield travelled across the country to visit his TV presenter brother in a ‘heightened state of agitation’, saying he was on the verge of ending his own life.
When he arrived, a statement from Phil described how he was doing the washing up when his brother began telling him about a sex act he and the teenager had performed together.
In a statement read out to court by prosecutor Robin Shellard on Wednesday, Phillip recalled how he received a call from his brother on September 12, 2021.
Break: Other ITV presenters have stepped into Phil’s shoes to present alongside Holly Willoughby this week
Here come the girls: Earlier this week Alison Hammond stepped in for Schofield alongside Holly Willoughby
New co-star: The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett, 37, filled in on Wednesday
Changes: It was announced during the show on Thursday that Alison and Dermot, 49, will replace the pair for their usual two-week Easter break
‘It was a weekend and he asked if I was able to talk,’ he said. ‘Tim was in an extreme state of agitation.
‘He said that he was on the verge of killing himself. He said that his head was in a mess and everything was a mess.’
Schofield allegedly wanted to open up after the victim had confronted him the previous month – but horrified the presenter when he went into graphic detail.
He went on: ‘We ended up having dinner and I was washing up. Tim was standing behind me and he said you are going to hate me for what I’m about to say.
‘I said there’s nothing he could say that would make me hate him.
‘He said [the alleged victim and him] had their time together and last year watched porn and w***** on the sofa.
Absent: The duo’s break had already been scheduled by ITV, but it will mean Schofield will miss at least three weeks of shows before he returns to air
‘I turned and said, “What did you just say?” ‘Schofield then said it ‘was a moment we were together’.
‘Tim said it was just this time and I told him it should never happen again,’ Phillip said.
The defendant then started describing the body of the alleged victim, and Phillip shouted: ‘F***, stop!’.
‘I told him that this had to stop,’ the statement continued. ‘I just didn’t want to hear any of the details, but it sounded like it was just one time.
‘I said I don’t want you to tell me any more. Regardless of how it happened, it must never happen again.
‘He said it was just [their] time. I said “What the hell is that?”‘ Phil said he never spoke with his brother about it again.
