There we go Schofield has admitted ‘affair’

[muppetmayhem]

Front page of the daily mail for my sins.

NOTHING. So cross that I can't type properly.

Worst kept secret ever, there’s been knowledge of this for years

Phil's best friend Simon Schofield also spent a great deal of time with the same young man. There are many pictures of the 3 of them together, and pictures of just Simon and the teen. Simon is married but that doesn't necessarily mean much. I feel there is more to come out then what is already known from 2019, as ITV could quickly have disproven the denial that no relationship took place.

Phil used to also do a lot of messaging with young teens on Snapchat, keeping conversations going for years with teen boys as young as 14. He has always said this was just him connecting with his fans, and the posted chats are not inappropriate or sexual in content but why does a 50-60 year old man keep in touch for years with 14 and up year old boys.

Such an obvious attempt to get ahead of the story. The paper was obviously going to print and has let him have his version out there.

He had an "affair" with a teenager he potentially groomed from a young age, began a relationship when he was barely legal and on the basis of a huge power imbalance (getting him a job at 16 or so with This Morning wasn't it?!) which is pretty predatory if you ask me.

He’ll never work again on tv I can’t imagine.

He should crawl down a hole and stay there forever 🤬

His career is as dead as a dodo. What a fool. He became really unlikable in the last few years. A few before them too.

Disgusting specimen. I suspect there’s going to be more coming to light.

At least people will stop pretending to believe he resigned over queue gate now.

I can see why ITV and Holly are fuming

I don’t think there’s a chance in hell ITV and Holly weren’t aware of it when it was happening. MM got a job as a runner on This Morning, then he was ‘moved on’ when it all went wrong. There’s a photo of him approaching Holly at an awards show after Philip had him thrown out.

ITV and Holly know what was going on and were apparently quite happy. It’s been an open secret, all over Twitter and other social media. I think the situation with his brother’s conviction has brought it all to a head.

I can't imagine HW didn't know, I've known about it for 2 years!

Just read this on the DM and the top comment were my words exactly 'there you go'

What a complete piece of work!

@scrantonelectriccity

I can't imagine HW didn't know, I've known about it for 2 years!

Me too - I leant it from reading mumsnet!!

'It's not illegal' is a low bar to set. If you've mentored someone from childhood, used your fame to wangle them a job on your television shows and then had a sexual relationship with them it is grooming, exploitation and an abuse of power. ITV and all the shows Schofield has worked on have questions to answer, too. Their employment practices shouldn't allow current employees to get jobs for teenagers they know and then use that favour to gain influence over said teenager for sexual gain.

Oh I've just clicked the link and there's clearly much more to come. The DM have the thumbscrews on him and have forced this "confession" from him when he tried to deny it.

It's a sad state of affairs when we have to rely on the Mail to winkle out the perverts from light entertainment. Have senior television management learned nothing from Savile and Harris?

As much as I'm not a fan of the mail they are generally on the side of getting the truth out when people have been harmed and an injustice needs righting.

Schofield didn’t use the word ‘grooming’ in his statement. Isn’t that the usual term for an older man pursuing a sexual relationship with someone much younger when there is a significant wealth, power & status imbalance?

What is the evidentiary level needed for a criminal charge of grooming? There is a criminal offence of grooming now isn't there? I wonder how close this comes.

Certainly feels that way.

The media, in general is a cesspit of degeneracy.
They believe that the social norms don't apply to them, ditto politicians.

Colour me unsurprised.

There's a thousand Schofields within the public domain.
Such a non story.

Yes, it's a bit like a teacher starting an affair with an 18 year old school leaver whom they have taught since the age of 10. Not illegal but an immense abuse of power and position. I wonder when the sexual relationship really began?

Holly knew exactly what was going on. They all knew. Ruth, Eamon, Rylan. There’s no way she didn’t know as well.

There is definitely worse, or why else would he be all of a sudden admitting stuff? Trying to reveal enough so they’ll leave him alone. Gross. Imagine sitting up there acting like a public treasure and being a sneaky, cheating, liar.

For goodness sake, him and him brother both obsessed with sex with males barely out of childhood.

What the hell is wrong with their family?? Were their parents brother and sister?? Something extremely odd with those Schofields