Phillip Schofield announced his return to TV today, 16 months after he vowed to stay out of the limelight following his ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a younger colleague – but what’s his relationship like with his wife?
Phillip Schofield’s wife vowed she would never leave the TV star.
The former This Morning host shocked the entertainment world when he admitted to having an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a much younger male colleague. Phillip, 62, came out as gay in February 2020 and announced he was separating from his wife, Stephanie Lowe. Stephanie was said to be “very angry” after hearing that Phillip was gay.
At the time of Phillip’s bombshell admission, Stephanie was left “absolutely shattered”. He told fans: “With the strength and support of my wife and my daughters, I have been coming to terms with the fact that I am gay. This is something that has caused many heartbreaking conversations at home.” He later added that the pair had “no plans” to divorce one another.
In February 2020, Phil also admitted he knew he was gay when he married Stephanie. He said in an interview: “I must have been gay when I wed but I was so happy I never considered it. I am not saying I didn’t know whatever was there. I thought ‘OK whatever this is, you stay back because I am happy’.” At the time, a friend close to the couple told the Mirror that Stephanie was “absolutely shattered”. The source added: “She and the girls love him very much and will support him as much as they can, but the knowledge they have been living a lie for so long is terribly hurtful. It’s humiliating to think that you’re married to someone who doesn’t love you the way you love them.”
However, it appears that the couple are still content with one another as Stephanie, who he married in 1993 has not yet filed for divorce from the presenter. The couple share two daughters, Molly, who is Phillip’s agent and Ruby. Despite the scandal surrounding Phillip’s affair with a younger male runner on This Morning, they seem just as close as ever.
While celebrating Phillip’s birthday, the husband and wife were seen cuddling an adorable puppy together as they headed out on a morning walk. Their outing came just three days after the pair celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary. Sources claim that Stephanie is still head over heels in love with Phillip and will always be there for him.
Speaking to OK! Magazine, the source said: “Whatever Phillip has done behind Steph’s back, she still loves him… Even if the love they shared in the beginning of their marriage is different to what it is now, the love is still very much there.” The source went on to suggest being an official divorcee could be too much of an insult to add to Phil’s injury. They claimed: “Steph is, and always will be, Phillip’s support system. She hasn’t divorced him because she doesn’t want to see him fall any further.”
Phillip previously said: “I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning. 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.” His bombshell statement came after he lied to members of the media by saying the affair was not true.
In an interview with BBC News, Phil revealed he turned to his wife Stephanie before releasing his confessional statement. He said: “I had a wonderful marriage.. have! a wonderful marriage”, correcting himself – before proudly flashing up his gold wedding band still on his left hand. “Not brilliant right now,” he added, before praising Steph as being an “incredibly supportive wife”. Clarifying his relationship with Steph, Phil said: “We are separated but we are very much together. Let’s just say it was an incredibly difficult conversation. The most difficult conversation I’ve ever had to have with her and she is extremely disappointed because I lied to her as well. But she wished me well today and so we’ll see.”
In a later interview with The Sun newspaper, Phillip revealed Stephanie was “very, very angry” over the news of his affair. He also revealed his two daughters believed he had “screwed up royally” – but despite their blistering views, he admitted they were “unbelievably supportive”. Stephanie and Phillip first met in 1989 when he was 25 and working on a children’s TV show, and Stephanie was a production assistant on a BBC show. The pair tied the knot at Ackergill Tower in the Highlands back in 1993 in front of 15 guests.
Now, 16 months after the scandal, Phillip has opened up about his return to screens. Taking to Instagram, he shed light on his Cast Away experience. He told fans: “Now you know how I spent my Summer! Alone for 10 days, no food, no water, no crew. My story of survival, both on a desert island and off it.” Phillip had previously vowed to stay out of the spotlight
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