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.

Not that functional, if you’re empathising with a predator. The boy was a child when they met.

i hope the innocent man MM is kept safe

The thing is, we don't know the what ifs at the moment. It's just speculation.

And, as someone who is very well versed in the law around this area, it doesn't matter if they met when the other party was 15. Grooming or not (of which there is absolutely no evidence), if the sexual encounters didn't begin until he was 20 there's nothing to be concerned about from a legal perspective.

I think people need to get over this, and also remember Caroline Flack.

How awful for his wife having her husband come out as gay on tv. Why couldn’t he manage his personal life in private.

The size of this whole thing is baffling to be honest.

How many other men have done serious, sit-down BBC interviews about the 20 year olds they've shagged behind their wives backs?

Public, powerful, figures need to do better than the letter of the law on sexual contact. They need to not abuse their power and not seem to abuse their power.

I wonder if the interview and making him to be 100% responsible is so that there is little discussion about the ITV response.

The treatment of the younger man by ITV, and indeed the allegation that when he was moved to another show it led to a good person being sacked (or contract not renewed) is not his doing.

It's alm about sorry, not sorry.

He's sorry he got caught and has now lost his job!

You’re not some authority.

it doesn't matter if they met when the other party was 15

Sorry to inconvenience you, but yes, it does.

This whole sorry affair could have been avoided, if Phillip had just acted like a decent human being.

Oh god. I’m 2 minutes in. He’s doing a pathetic voice and needs the dressing gown of doom.

Interesting how he's claiming it's homophobia Lololololol as if there wouldn't be the same, if not more outrage if this was a young woman that's he'd met when she was a teenager and had sex with in his dressing room!

Adding more humiliation to his wife

i can see a confessional and group therapy session coming our way where they all hug at the end 🙄

If he is a predator, there are ways to handle it rather than people just repeating and making up lies and rumours. And the way this has been handled by the media and social media is the antithesis of a civilised country.
If that makes me brain dead, I'm happy to be it.

I think this is going to backfire on him quite significantly. Not as much as Prince Andrew but a fair bit.

he spoke well i thought and i am not a good morning tv watcher

there will be a backlash to HW i think

why did they fall out?

@BruhWhy exactly my thoughts.

The whole blow up, media circus and speculation is totally over the top and the pearl clutching is a bit pathetic imo.

I'm off as don't want to keep fuelling these sort of sensational threads. I just commented to see if there was something I've missed, but no one has pointed anything out yet.

I think you all need to concentrate on your own lives and get a grip.

i dont think it will backfire
some words may be taken and broadcast/written, out of context

Again, he could have just not got into a relationship with a person he knew, and mentored, and had a position of responsibility over.

You know? It’s not hard. Most adults manage it.

i dont think there will be wink wink nudge nudge if mm was a female

at least i hope there wouldnt in this day and age

The Beeb is giving air time right now. Excruciating

The treatment of the younger man by ITV, and indeed the allegation that when he was moved to another show it led to a good person being sacked (or contract not renewed) is not his doing.

That's an allegation that Dan Wootton floated but Carol McGiffin didn't even know why the previous guy left. You're just repeating a rumour that was made up on air.

The only people who know the facts are PS and the runner. nobody else knows the facts, and we all know that social media is excellent at making things up as it goes along.

The vitriol here against PS and even more against HW is totally disproportionate.

Nobody can say for certain whether this young man was groomed. It is in fact possible to meet someone and engage with them and end up having an affair/relationship/encounter with them when they’re older. That does not prove that they were groomed. Grooming has intent. It can be seen as inappropriate, but unless you can prove that PS intended to have sex with this individual at some point it’s impossible to say that he was groomed.

This grown man is obviously aware of what he's done. Because first he denied it all, continued to deny it, it got found out and he STILL doesn't think there's anything wrong with what he did and is now all "me,me,me, you're all homophobic"

I'm sure you'd be cool if it been YOUR son, but I fucking wouldn't have been fine with this 50 you man taking my teenage son out for meals and then conveniently helping him get a job with him and then having sex in his dressing room or wherever.

Same as if it had been his physics teacher, or scout leader or church elder or whatever.

That's grooming and it's a safeguarding issue that should be treated seriously.

Not watched it but sounds like "Ah the Tony Blair answer to everything", admit you got it wrong, weak apology and it all goes away without any consequences.

I think you all need to concentrate on your own lives and get a grip.

That's the spirit. Let the rich and powerful take advantage, groom, sexually harass (as the case may be) with impunity and god forbid the populace show an interest in who has done what.