Phillip Schofield has come out as gay

[catinb0oots]

Blimey. Married for 27 years.

MN is really bizarre at times.

What I've learned over the years is if you get struck down by a horrible disease you get a free pass but if you come out as gay you're fair game for abuse and homophobia - irregardless of previous behaviour. Eg.

Jade Goody was a vile, racist bully before her terrible illness. When you look back at those MN threads there's nothing but sympathy for her (you would think horrible people couldn't get afflicted with terrible diseases).

In comparison Philip has had a pretty blemish free career, never caught up in major scandals, controversies or social media spats and keeps a low profile socially. He comes out as gay and is thrown over the coals.

Simon and David.

Man in musical theatre is gay would hardly have been smashing a stereotype

A few of my friends from the same rep company have a standing joke that it's more of a surprise on the circuit when someone comes out as straight (The friends in question are all gay themselves)

My personal feeling is that someone, probably the scum bag Dan Wootton at The Sun, was going to out him. This is why Gareth Thomas had to announce he is HIV before he was ready to.

Dan Wootton such a scumbag isn't he I noticed he isn' t on Lorraine anymore he is such a creep.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s it was far far less acceptable to be gay I'm old and that is nonsense.

I know 3 men who were married with kids and then came out as gay. One is 40 and the others are in their 50s.

For all of them, it was easier to attempt to be straight but ultimately impossible. I feel for anyone in this situation but I can only imagine the humiliation for the wife.

I hope Philip Schofield has announced this because he chose to and not because a tabloid was about to expose him.

Well I had no idea he was gay and hadn't heard any rumours. I can't be the only one who didn't have a clue.

I'm not saying that at all, @GFJoe - and I don't understand how you'd come to the conclusion I was?

I feel very sorry for his wife. But it's plain ridiculous to presume he deliberately deceived her, without knowing the ins and outs of it.

We have no idea whether or not he knew he was gay when he married.

Why was my post deleted?

Are we really not allowed to say that someone hates women on MN anymore?

Yes of course there was still plenty of prejudice against gays-there still is-but that doesn't mean a closeted gay men should marry a woman and it's ok! Didn't anyone have a "confirmed bachelor" uncle growing up??

He could at least have sorted out his marriage some time prior to this, surely would be less awful for his wife and kids if they'd been divorced! What a twat.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s it was far far less acceptable to be gay I'm old and that is nonsense.

Oh, come on, how can you possibly believe that?

Much better to deceive someone by getting married to create that air of normality eh. He didn't have to openly come out if he didn't want to. He also didn't have to get married and wreck someone else's life.

I think it was the implication that gay man=woman hater Juan tbh

I met PS about 30 years ago when he did a signing event in my town. I had a crazy teenage crush on him at the time but in real life he didn't seem to enjoy the female attention. My crush on him disappeared after meeting him.

I feel for his wife. I always feel incredibly uncomfortable when I read about men (or women) coming out as gay when they have been married to a member of the opposite sex for many years and are applauded for being brave. It must be heartbreaking for the partner who has been deceived for many years.

I hope Steph is ok. I suspect she has known for a rather long time, but it does not make it any easier for her.

His wife will have known for some time as it said she is supportive.

It does seem as if all the newspaper stories were a way for them to prod Phillip into this, without coming out and actually saying it. I absolutely think the papers knew and all the snide jabs at him over the last few months were all about this.
I really feel for his wife and children and that they are supported too.

Lots of big celebrities came out in the 1980’s. Then AIDS arrived, and there was a huge backlash for various reasons and various degrees in certain countries. Lots of ignorance around, lots of religious fervour, it wasn’t as easy after that in the 1990’s. Still a lot of ignorance, still a lot of denial.

Im definitely sceptical as to why E & R were there/it was done on a Fri. Got to dispel any notions of discord.

Hard to say how long she has known as it sounds like she chose to stand by him and keep up the allusion of marriage until he was ready to come out

We have no idea whether or not he knew he was gay when he married.

I don't buy that. Sorry. You would have some clue that you weren't attracted to women, (or vice versa) even if you tried to bury it. You don't just become gay.

Out of the broom closet.......

Given how many posters here claim to have known for years, it seems a little patronising to assume this must have been a horrible shock to his wife. We have no idea what she knew or when or what kind of arrangement they had.

I thought he was out already. My aunty worked in the theatre Joseph was on at years ago and he was quite open about his sexuality then