What's happening to Phillip Schofield?

[ridiculousridiculousness]

It seems like the stories about the old silver fox are ramping up. Feel like there's more mileage in this one that we know...

Piers played it well, I thought. He asked Joan Collins directly what her view was and managed not to interrupt (for once!!) until he thought she was, perhaps, going too far. I also thought it was staged - there was no need for PS to have been discussed at all at the Oscars in Hollywood!

There’ll be a queue of colleagues, old and new, waiting to throw him under the bus once his Teflon has thoroughly worn off.

It’s all gone quiet on the daily smail. You think is the calm before the storm?

I was surprised that JC knew PS so well!

I love Joan Collins. She's like my dear departed nan who spouted whatever came into her head with no thought to anyone's sensitivities.

I know this has already been discussed infinitum but I keep coming back to his wife and what a shit he is - and whether she knew or not is irrelevant. And how the story as presented by ITV makes NO sense. It’s a vile, woke narrative that we’re all supposed to meekly go along with and I’m so glad that most people aren’t.

If she knew - then they had an arrangement to present a certain image to the public, which he has now completely trashed.

If she didn’t know - then it is a deeply painful time for her and the family, even if she loves and “supports” him and IN NO WAY should he be praised and congratulated in this sickening way.

I have only spent about 10 minutes of my life watching PS but this is about something rotten at the core of the entertainment industry I want the papers to keep hinting and digging, as much as they can. I want people to stop watching his stupid show. I want him to meet his comeuppance.

I'm rapidly going off ITV. Ant was back on screen within 18 months of hurting people by drink driving. I'm all for people turning their lives around, but I'm sure most 'ordinary' people who are caught drink driving find it difficult to keep their jobs and probably have to take quite a long time to rebuild a career and reputation - and quite rightly, drink driving really is the lowest of the low and it shatters lives . He should have taken 2/3 years out at least but ITV are too greedy for that. It's really distasteful.

And don't forget they had Barrymore booked for DOI too

I agree it makes little sense.

It feels too early in the process to reveal to the nation, if his account is true.

I really don't care either way, but at the moment it feels manipulative and dishonest.

I would have much more respect for him if he said 'my marriage has ended, we've known this for a long time. Now I'm in a relationship with another man I don't want to hide it etc'

He doesn't even have to announce it publicly, just be who with who he wants.

I keep coming back to George Michael, who was very publicly outed. His response was more 'yes, this is who I am, everyone close to me knew that anyway, get on with your day'

Speaking of Barrymore, I watched the channel 4 doc last night and noted how well he was received after ‘coming out’. Very similar to PS. He played the victim, stuck in this life that didn’t belong to him whilst longing to be himself, wishing the public would accept him for who he is now.

They did of course, he won a whole host of awards after it.

Had this revelation come after the pool death, however, it would have been a very different story.

Just like with PS. If we had first read about his sexuality in headlines focused on his relationship with a young boy who was then forced out of his job, there would have been a totally different reaction to the revelation. The primary headlines would only serve to demonstrate that he’s capable of deception.

Now if MM does sell his story, PS could paint a picture of himself as the victim with something like: ‘this is total rubbish, I’m being targeted because I’m gay’.

The ways he’s orchestrated this whole thing is very clever.

I would have much more respect for him if he said 'my marriage has ended, we've known this for a long time. Now I'm in a relationship with another man I don't want to hide it etc

I get the impression his marriage is left hanging in the air - like he wants to hold on and have the best of both worlds. I think it must have been a rushed decision to speak out last week - like something forced his hand to say - well I am gay.

Kevin Spacey deflected by coming out as gay when that his sexual preference wasn't really the issue.

Not really relevant but friend's girlfriend was employed by Kevin Spacey to be his beard for many years, even went on holiday with him a couple of times - so wasn't a great surprise to us when he came out as gay!

Matthew M sacked from loose women his Twitter is down hope he has support,PS looks very strained on TM today

Yes he looks like he hasn't eaten this year.

Holly looks tired today. Her brand is very much tied up with him. If PS had just said, I am gay, my wife has known about it for years but our marriage works for us, I am making this announcement because I my ex boyfriend is going to the press, we might have cocked an eyebrow but it would have been a 9 day wonder. He specifically said that he had been thinking of coming out for a long time and the announcement was always going to be on Friday

Has Gino been since the announcement? I only watch on Fridays. There's bound to be some awkward but hilarious innuendo from Gino.

I catch up with the week on fridays, mainly watch the cokking.

Posted too soon - he only came out on Fri because of MM press deal. Then people started talking in tv world and people have dug up PS history with MM when he was 15. They handled it so badly. It really has opened up a can of worms.

Do we know that MM has a press deal?

I'm not sure we do. Pretty damn sure that the press are sniffing around him like pigs on a truffle hunt, and I hope he's getting some advice/protection. It's really hard to take on a megalith like ITV on your own.

Can’t stand the Holly/Pip love in. I’ve seen a clip on YouTube, about an 18yr old he was alleged to have been involved with, not surprised.

@Mascarponeandwine I’m glad someone else has noticed the rise of the Osbourne empire again, Sharon appearing on Michael McIntyre, Ozzy just so happens to phone (lets just pretend we have a happy marriage), get the sympathy vote - let’s tell everyone Ozzy has Parkinson’s for no apparent reason inc supportive daughter looking after him. Look at our happy family brand mum and daughter on the Mask. Then finally look ITV how well connected we are - were the right side of the red rope at the oscars. Basically we are not your current presenters and their baggage. Shazza has even had plastic surgery done in preparation. Holly and Phil will soon be taking that break with guest presenters Kelly and Sharon hitting the sofa.

Interesting panel on Loose Women today. Ruth and Eamon, Stacy and Joe - ITV easing in the new TM hosts? R and E stepping up to main hosts with Stacy and Joe taking on Fridays.

Just watched today does anyone else feel that they just looked relieved at the end of the episode in a 'phew that's one more show we have got away with!' I wonder if at the moment ITV are using stooges for the phone ins to guarantee no suspect questions are asked how else can they guarantee a caller won't ask about MM?

I wondered that too about the phone in segments. There must be a massive risk of a caller going rogue.