Philip Schofield interview on BBC News/iplayer now.

[JeandeServiette]

Anyone else watching?

I wasn't supposed to be up this early but what the heck.

I’m no massive fan of PS.
but….he’s not in the same league as Rolf Harris and Jimmy Saville. He made a MASSIVE error of judgement, for whatever reason. I don’t necessarily believe much that he says anymore but after watching his interview I felt that he’d owned up to his mistakes, he’d held his hands up and said it was his fault, his wrong choices that have lead to this. So what more do people/the press want?
He will be forever punished for his actions by his loss of respect/work/friendships etc.
Do we really need to keep tearing him apart? What will it achieve?

Wow. I haven't seen these. How many times can PS slot in that H knew nothing? What's it worth to keep driving that home so that she comes out looking innocent?

I imagine Dermott and Alison are in a difficult position as they are working for ITV who are being investigated and are essentially puppets who have no doubt been told what line to take that will cause the least amount of damage to ITV and This Morning.

I agree @PrincessScarlett but think that ITV are gaging the publics reaction to whether HW addresses it directly or just carries on with the show as its all been said
Let Alison and Dermot take the heat before they wheel her in

We have an 18 year old intern at my company. I am late 40s. I would hope that I would get fired if I started a casual sex relationship with the intern. I would hope I sued if I lied about it. And if I had arranged for the intern to get a job and been in contact with the intern since he was 12/15, I would hope that the police would investigate me for grooming.

adults should not be sending DMs to children online. People in a power position should not instigate sexual affairs in the office.

and there should be no sacred castes. If you are a priest, a woman, gay, a minority, whatever, when you fiddle with children you should feel the full force of the law and societal disgust.

*I would hope I got sued

I can’t believe he says in the interview that if he had been having a heterosexual affair that people would have said “ha ha nudge nudge wink wink”

In this day and age, given everything that’s happened in the last few years with other celebrities, he seriously thinks that??? No he knows that’s bullshit!

That’s so bad. Maybe he does think it but that’s even worse.

It’s all very grim isn’t it. Nothing learned at all within the industry that brought us Jimmy Saville and Rolf Harris….I don’t suggest Schofield’s behaviour is in the same league but the situation has all the same hallmarks… rumours galore surrounding bankable stars but no action taken, however now the sorry story has emerged all colleagues both on and off screen are climbing over each other to distance themselves.

I found it really difficult to watch. Who advised him the vape was a good idea?

I really do think there's more to come. I'm young enough to remember a few years back it was a trend for teenagers to add him on Snapchat and he'd message you back.

You see I just don’t understand why he would put himself in that situation?! Surely he would know how unwise that is.

Oh god I remember that schoffe was supposed to be a "hoot" on snap chat not that i had it but I saw people talking and posting about it !.

People would laugh that Phil was on the Gin and snap charring

Oh snap chatting* honest I've not been on the Gin !

So what does he think he's done wrong? What are all the tearful apologies for? If he didn't contact MM until he was in his early 20s and then had consensual sex with him-why all the drama? All he had to do was lie low for a little while then it'd all be forgotten. So.....more to emerge in the Sunday papers?

That interview made no sense he keeps contradicting himself. He's done nothing wrong but feels so guilty about MM. Why would you feel concern over an adult that you've had a consensual fling with. All seemed very staged.

I think in the real world that would be weird, you're right, but in the world of media and celebrities all sorts of sordid shit happens. Leo di caprio dates younger women and it's laughed about, he's probably seen that kind of thing his whole career. I can see where he's coming from tbh.

It’s infuriating that he’s throwing out the homophobic card. If he had done the same thing with a young girl we would be equally appalled.

This just sounds so fake. The wording of those messages is not how people normally message one another. It seems he's determined to protect Holly by repeatedly hammering home she knew nothing.

I don't believe for a second she knew nothing. Talk of his affair with a young runner has been circulating online for at least 3 years. Even I'd heard about it and I don't even watch This Morning, so she definitely knew something.

https://twitter.com/DrProudman/status/1664649262783926278
I agree with this tweet

I think it's rather revealing that he thinks it would be no big deal if it was a girl and that this is an attitude everyone shares. I hate how he is using the issue of homophobia to try and get sympathy. Gross man.

Exactly @OriginalUsername2

'I think it's rather revealing that he thinks it would be no big deal if it was a girl and that this is an attitude everyone shares. I hate how he is using the issue of homophobia to try and get sympathy. Gross man.'

It is disgusting, is he really suggesting if say someone like like Piers Morgan or Jeremy Vine had been found out to be shagging a 20yr old female runner he wouldn't have been there on the sofa saying how shocking it was.

Interview for anyone without iplayer:

Last spoke to runner two weeks ago when engaged lawyer for him
Met him at theatre school, followed his twitter request at 15
A few on and off work-related tweets
Runner asked could he visit the studios at 19
41 years no other impropriety
no sexual interactions or flirtations in between 15-19
sexual interaction - he was 20
consensual, legal - both sides agreed that statement
they were mates - hung out at the studio
dressing room - something happened
4/5x 5x/maybe six times work place fling
not in relationship/boyfriends
mess with own sexuality at the time
helped with show reel
runner got job on own merits - talented, worked hard
between 15-18, only occasional non-flirtatious work messages
poor mental state with own sexuality
stayed mates, stay mates, still friendly, got work for him on other shows
20/54 appreciates massive age gap but that happens in real life as well
others also deny work flings
both asked about it after rumours surfaced
insists not grooming and summation false
unwise though as he was older
not a bully, doesn't lord it around the studio
has only snapped once at a producer
claims no NDA, not paid off, runner free to speak
no injunction
regarding getting him fired - didn't happen
night before or morning of coming out, texted runner
runner was never going to out him
the claim that Sun was a) they weren't and b) that's illegal
2019 Dan Wootton had the scoop on PS being gay and the fling
Whatsapp group The Event - handful of people, management, him, legal media lawyer figuring out most elegant way of coming out, Holly and him had lunch, best date, interview afterwards - Sun was suggested
categorically untrue that exclusive given in return for not reporting on runner
says would have committed suicide had it not been for his daughters
relentless social media
story out now - claims it was growing
ITV investigation - wasn't formal - says both denied it - intransigent
stretches incredulity - agreed that perhaps seniors could have looked more
categorically denies he had anything to do with side lining
says runner applied to go to Loose Women - on his own merits
CMc barrister external review - will comply
Ranj toxicity/environment - nothing found
Toxic people have toxic lenses
Hopes any review will be thorough
No toxicity, no bullying, no discrimination
All he sees are angry people angry about a show they aren't on anymore
He hopes he isn't seen as toxic
Whatsapped Holly when he put statement out
Adores Holly, his TV sister
Family, friends, ITV, public, management, runner - sorry
Says runner is being persecuted
ITV taxis utterly untrue
Presenters no ITV car account
Runner only went to his flat once, didn't stay over
Had/has wonderful marriage
Therapist - things change - kernel got bigger - moment with colleague was at time things came to a head avoided when did you know you were gay Q
Other sexual experiences swerved it
if no one forced your hand - why come out when you did - says he wasn't eating, sleeping, had lost weight, wanted to be brave
Feels victim of hate, victim of spun areas of non-factual info and gossip
wishes could have taken full brunt of this without runner being dragged in
Fine mesh of friends
Some abandoned, some new - one prominent figure rang and claims it was homophobic
Different age groups - massive gap being wrong - predominantly homophobic
separated but together
lied to his wife
daughters unbelievably supportive
runner - sorry he has caused him so much pain

Obvious questions missed:

Fracas at TV awards
Own goal of lawyer appointed for runner to say not lying anymore
Has he agreed to take fall for everyone at ITV in return for £
If age-gap isn't unusual (it isn't: see Stephen Fry, Paul O' Grady, Paul Gambaccini's spouses) AND him and the runner have remained friends/parted amicably...why no statement from the runner or joint statement from them both saying it was a mutual FWB thing?

You've got too much time on your hands!