Phillip Schofield has come out as gay

[catinb0oots]

Blimey. Married for 27 years.

He probably has a boyfriend that he wants to start dating officially.

Not a surprise

There have been rumours about him since the broom cupboard days, but I'm still shocked.

Wonder if there's an expose in the pipeline.

I hope his wife and kids are ok with the big announcement. If you have been in a long term relationship it isn't just about you.

This. Nobody will give them a second thought.

Just confirms you never know what goes on behind closed doors.

I couldn't give a shiny shite whether he's gay or not but it's got to be a hard thing to go through as a family, and a hard thing to live a lie for him.

I hope his wife and daughters are ok.

I heard the first rumours of him being gay when he was playing Joseph! And I believed it too.

Very sad for his wife and daughters but especially his wife.

I bet his wife didn’t officially know, although I imagine she had suspicions. It’s 2020 ffs, he could have come out any time in the last ten or fifteen years with no damage at all to his career. Why now? Why maintain the wife illusion for so long, with the risk of it all coming out anyway?

There’s a narrative here but I’m not convinced it’s the whole story. I hope Steph has plenty of support.

Hmm, funny how this bit of info emerges just weeks after rumours begin swirling that he's Not Very Nice.
Now we all have to love him again as he's so brave. Not as brave as his wife, poor woman!

Why do in this day and age sill feel the need to have to come out? Why did he not speak to his wife and family and then dowhat he had to do wihout broadcasting it to the whole world? It shouldn have to be that way.

What a terrible shame that he has felt he had to live a lie for all those years. To be fair we have no idea about what his wife about what his wife does and doesn’t know about his sexuality.

If I were his wife my how life would feel like a lie - poor cow.

Thankfully we are for more accepting now.

This is bringing back ALL the memories and I feel sick especially at the support Schofield is getting because no matter what he says about being kind to his family now, he will be hailed a hero for coming out, after 27 years of lies no doubt.

Sorry for rant but he doesn't get to 'feel confused' he knows he is gay. When did he share this knowledge with his wife or has she, like so many straight wives, been in the dark and lied to her whole married life?

Why did he not speak to his wife and family and then dowhat he had to do wihout broadcasting it to the whole world?
I would’ve extremely surprised if he didn’t let her know what he was to do.

Maybe he and Jameela have been seeing each other. The timing is suspicious

To be fair to him he was born when being homosexual was illegal, he was a child when that changed but attitudes didn't change overnight.

Lots of people assuming he has lied to his wife for years but we don't know that, we don't know he has been unfaithful. I'm sure this is really painful for the whole family but particularly him and his wife, I hope people just leave them alone to deal with it.

I also do think we would have been cheating on his wife for years, exploring who he really is. But unfortunately he should have give her the chance to find a forever love.

My sister has a gay friend who says he sleeps with men who are married. He never discloses who they are. At the moment hes sleeping with a man who has a newborn baby. Its absolutely terrifying to think that you dont know who you are with

Obviously they are too ashamed to let the world know. Its heartbreaking for them and the person who they are lying to

Hoppinggreen

Bloody Hell
It will be Julian Clary or Rupert Everett next!

Win!

There's a press release saying he spoke at length with his wife and daughters before making the decision. He's not just decided to announce it as a bit of filler before Gino Di Campo's slot.

Bloody hell. His poor wife. I hope he separated with her first. Not really a big deal but I don’t like the deception aspect of this. It’s been okay to be gay for a very long time in showbiz- dale winton was of the same era. Wonder why he stayed married.

I suspect he didn't come out completely by choice.

Wouldn't be surprised if a tabloid threatened to out him - so he’s jumped before he’s pushed.

Some people feel they have to live a lie, being gay is still frowned upon by many. A source of family shame.

My cousin’s son is openly gay. My cousin won’t tell his parents - ‘they wouldn't approve’, ‘they’re Christian’.

We told my parents about our gay children in a like it or lump it manner. We felt it was a tough this is how it is sort of thing. You can embrace it or gradually loose contact sort of thing.

My money is on a tabloid piling on the pressure. Shits that they are.

Holly made it so breathy and awkward

Holly would make reading a bus timetable breathy and awkward!

I wonder why he's lying about only realising this in the last few years? It's been known a very long time.

I'm glad Eamon said "as long as Steph and the girls are ok"
It was good for him to acknowledge them.
It's brave for him (although he's probably been aware for many years and was doing damage limitation on his career) but whatever the family say, they'll be devastated privately.