Phillip Schofield has come out as gay

[catinb0oots]

Blimey. Married for 27 years.

 Phillip Schofield comes out as gay news.sky.com/story/phillip-schofield-comes-out-as-gay-11928156

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?

I don't know how old his daughters are but maybe he didn't think it was the right time for them. If they are adults now then it could be that he thinks they will cope with it better than if they were younger.

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?

Maybe he wanted his children to reach adulthood first. Maybe his wife knew.

People asking why he didn't come out earlier:. just look at the transphobia there is on this site - it could have been like that for him 40 years ago to come out as gay.

I can't say I'm surprised. Even in the broom cupboard days when I didn't really know anything about sex/sexuality, I think I had a feeling he was 'different'.

Tough for his family.

It’s horrible for his wife and children.

I’ve known for about 14 years. An older male acquaintance of mine who was an entertainer worked with him in the 80s/early 90s and he told pretty much everyone he knew. It’s one of those “industry’s worst kept secrets” things. I suspect his wife has know for many many years and turned a blind eye but it’s cruel to go public like this. His daughter’s must be finding it very hard too. I don’t think he’s brave at all for how he has used people for years.

I wonder if any similarly closeted stars are feeling a bit twitchy right now.

Weird timing, wonder if the weekend papers will be full of a story?

Feel really sorry for his wife and daughters because even if they knew for years, they are about to be hounded by our despicable evil tabloid scum.

Loads of people through history have lived a "fake" heterosexual life, married with children for years, sometimes spouses aware, suspicious, totally unaware and everything in between. Just amazing that in 2020, even on mainstream tv, it's kept secret for so long.

Nothing like a bit of national humiliation, while he gets to play the "i'm so brave" card.

Pretty shitty behaviour, if you ask me, and not what I would class as brave.

This

I think speculation about how much and when his wife knew is a bit grim. And I think his statement is clear how much he owes to her. It's hard to phrase something like that without coming across as either patronising or unsupportive.

All a bit strange to come out now, but also one of those things that you look back on and think 'ah yes, I can see that might have been the case'

Hope is family is coping OK, good luck to them all.

What a terrible shame that he has felt he had to live a lie for all those years

For crying out loud!

He's in the entertainments industry. "Live a lie" my arse!

I wonder why he's lying about only realising this in the last few years? It's been known a very long time Has it been known or was it a showbiz rumour, some of them end up being true but others are just malicious.

I don't watch TM, I remember him from the broomcupboard days when my kids were little.

Why not just announce they were splitting up? His sexuality is none of anyone’s business.

His poor wife, all those years she’s going to look back on and question. All those lies.

If you go on twitter it's all isn't it great, isn't he brave. His wife probably doesn't feel great, she has been lied to for 27 years. He will have a young bloke waiting in the wings no doubt. Never liked him, like him even less now. Not because he is gay, just that he has used his wife as a beard to pursue fame and fortune. It is always the women that get pushed aside so that the man can go off into his new world while she is wondering what the hell her marriage had been about.

That rainbow coat was a bit of a clue.

@ShirleyPhallus No, because he might not be attracted to his wife (or indeed any other woman) in the same way as he would be attracted to a man.

He loves his wife, and they have a connection and children (I am assuming it's a "best friend" situation - I love mine, too, and honestly think I could raise kids with at least two of them!) but that doesn't mean he likes her, or has ever liked her, in a heterosexual way.

It's easy to get caught up in what you "should" be doing and "should" be feeling, even more so when you're in the public eye and people expect you to build a family and be "normal".

I just hope that he and his family can find a way through this.

I never guessed.
Never heard any rumours

I think his daughters just had significant birthday. Perhaps both him and his wife decided to wait till after that. I don't think this will be easy for any of them

oracle That is exactly how I felt. My whole marriage was a lie. I may have two wonderful daughters as a result but the damage done to all of us remains to this day, ten years later.

@Dowser, me neither.

Worked with him years ago. Doesn't surprise me. I didn't really like him tbh. He was very egocentric.