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Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary feel let down by beleaguered former This Morning host Phillip Schofield after his affair with a significantly younger male colleague was confirmed just days after their gushing tribute to the presenter.
On Friday, the 61-year old quit ITV and was dropped by his talent agency YMU after revealing he conducted an affair with a young colleague while he was still married to Stephanie Lowe – the mother of his two children.
Days earlier Alison, 48, and Dermot, 50, had paid tribute to ‘top broadcaster’ Phillip while opening their usual end-of-week show, just 24-hours after what would be his final appearance on This Morning following 21-years in front of camera.
The pair are now said to be upset at being drawn into the situation after details of his affair with the colleague, understood to be a runner with aspirations of becoming a TV presenter, finally emerged.
A source told MailOnline: ‘Obviously lots of people have been upset on and off camera following Phillip’s extraordinary statement on Friday. It’s fair to say they feel disappointed.’
Unimpressed: Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary feel let down by beleaguered former This Morning host Phillip Schofield
End: On Friday, Phillip, 61, quit ITV and was dropped by his talent agency YMU after admitting to an affair with a younger This Morning colleague
Phillip received just a 30-second tribute at the start of This Morning on Friday 19 May as Alison and Dermot stepped in after he was axed after 21 years.
The pair began the show by briefly addressing his exit, but there was no montage, just a single photo of the veteran presenter onscreen and around half a minute of warm words.
Opening the broadcast, Alison said: ‘We can’t start today’s show without paying tribute to the man who spent the last two decades sitting on the This Morning sofa. Phillip Schofield.’
Dermot added: ‘So as a show, everyone on and off screen at ITV and This Morning on say a huge thank you to Phil for what he’s done to make the show such a success over the last 21 years.’
Alison continued: ‘Quite simply, we all know he’s one of the best live television broadcasters this country has ever had, and we and all the team wish him all the best for the future.’
Warm words: Following his last show on Thursday 18 May, Alison and Dermot paid just a 30-second tribute to Phil (Phil seen with his former co-host Holly Willoughby on This Morning this month)
A week later, Phillip announced he had left ITV altogether and stepped back from his last existing commitment with the channel, the British Soap Awards.
The broadcaster, who was also dropped by his long-standing agents YMU, admitted he’d had an affair with a younger male This Morning colleague.
When the colleague was 15, the schoolboy asked him for a job, and Phillip later arranged an interview for him. It led to a position as an ITV production assistant when he turned 18. Some time afterwards, their affair began.
Phillip admitted to the affair on Friday, which he claimed was ‘unwise but not illegal’, in a lengthy statement, in which he also apologised to his wife and family.
The ‘unwise’ relationship took place during his nearly 30-year marriage to his wife Stephanie, 59, and Phillip said he was ‘so very sorry’ for being unfaithful.
Stephanie, who shares two kids Ruby, 27, and Molly, 29, with Phillip, issued a statement when her husband came out as gay in a moving This Morning segment in 2020.
In a statement, the former ITV presenter said: ‘I am making this statement via the Daily Mail, to whom I have already apologised personally for misleading, through my lawyer who I also misled, about a story [sic] which they wanted to write about me a few days ago.
‘The first thing I want to say is: I am deeply sorry for having lied to them, and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on This Morning.
Apology: Phillip’s affair took place during his nearly 30-year marriage to his wife Stephanie, 59, and Phillip said he was ‘so very sorry’ for being unfaithful
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Family: Stephanie shares two daughters, Ruby, 27, and Molly, 29, with Phillip, with Stephanie paying tribute to Phil when he came out as gay in 2020
‘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 a just a friendship.
‘That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over…
‘I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife…
‘I am resigning from ITV with immediate effect, expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me.
‘I will reflect on my very bad judgement in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it.’
After his statement, an ITV spokesman said: ‘We are deeply disappointed by the admissions of deceit made tonight by Phillip Schofield.
‘The relationships we have with those we work with are based on trust. Philip made assurances to us which he now acknowledges were untrue and we feel badly let down.
‘We accept his resignation from ITV and therefore can confirm that he will not be appearing on ITV as had previously been stated.’
Following his statement, Phillip has also parted company with his management team YMU after 35 years.
Mary Bekhait, the Group CEO of YMU Group, said: ‘Honesty and integrity are core values for YMU’s whole business, defining everything we do. Talent management is a relationship based entirely on trust.
‘This week, we have learned important new information about our client Phillip Schofield.
‘These facts contradicted what Phillip had previously told YMU, as well as the external advisors we had brought in to support him.
After quitting This Morning last weekend, Phillip had still been set to host the British Soap Awards for a 13th successive year, but he will no longer be doing so after quitting ITV altogether.
Meanwhile, This Morning regular Carol Vorderman revealed on Friday who she thinks will replace Phillip Schofield on This Morning.
During an appearance on the BBC’s Have I Got News for You, Carol, 62, hinted at who would permanently replace Phillip alongside Holly Willoughby, with the star claiming it would be Alison Hammond.
Former Countdown regular Carol appears every other Friday on This Morning do discuss various topics.
When her Have I Got News For You team captain Ian Hislop put it to her she could replace Phillip, Carol said: ‘No! Probably Holly and Alison, I would have thought.’
Host Steph McGovern asked Carol: ‘Is that where your money is?’, she responded: ‘That’s where I’d put my money.’
Alison currently hosts the show every Friday alongside Dermot O’Leary.
