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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Sorry, another Philip Schofield one...

999 replies

UnaCorda · 08/02/2020 20:20

I really couldn't care less about Philip Schofield's sexuality (or anyone else's) and good for him for finally being true to himself. But what makes me quite cross is all this talk of honesty and bravery, and the self-indulgent, tortured confessional in front of the nation when really it's of no importance to anyone who doesn't know him personally.

In the clip of his chat with Holly he asks repeatedly, "When is the right time?" In my opinion, the right time is before you get married to someone who believes you are straight. It's not brave, or honest, to make someone unwittingly provide you with the benefits of a heterosexual relationship, including children, so you can be viewed by the public as a "respectable family man". It's actually rather selfish.

I had a brief relationship with someone who I later discovered was gay. He didn't even have the balls to tell me directly, and it seriously screwed me up for a long time. I can't imagine what it must be like to find out your husband of 27 years is homosexual.

I'm not gay, so perhaps I am being unreasonable as I don't know what it is like to come out to friends and family (although I imagine it is easier now than it was thirty years ago) and I don't know whether PS really believed that he was in love with his wife when they got married. But I do think that leaving a duplicitous life which affects other people is not a kind or honourable thing to do and I feel very sorry for his wife and daughters who I think really have been brave.

OP posts:
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soberfabulous · 10/02/2020 09:42

I work in the media and it has been an open secret for decades that he is gay.

He has not been faithful to his wife. The papers forced his hand.

I can't stand the way he is being lauded for it.

KatyCarrCan · 10/02/2020 10:07

I just saw the clip with Joan Collins on GMB where she asked why he had bothered to come out now because everyone already knew so what had prompted this timing? (I think she meant everyone in the media and round the table knew). And Perez Hilton said there were rumours he came out because of inappropriateness. Then everyone else jumped to shut them down and say the 'he's so brave' story whilst Piers Morgan looked awkward.

All of this is about playing the public. The only way it will change is if the public stop watching them. .. or someone else comes forward ... or maybe if someone raised a question about super injunctions in parliament ...

HandsOffMyLangCleg · 10/02/2020 10:09

Joan asked the question that nobody else had the guts to "why now?"
She was closed down, as I suspect all threads on this will be.

WaktiWapnasi · 10/02/2020 10:11

Selecting someone to be your unwitting beard, even if at a later date they become aware and are accepting of that role, is morally reprehensible and not worthy of a "brave hero" moniker.

I'm aware and have understanding and sympathy for people staying in the closet especially those in the public eye because we still have rampant homophobia in our society however, that does not give anyone the right to utilize another person's romantic and reproductive resources to their own ends. He wasn't repressed or in denial. I knew a guy who claimed to have been his boyfriend when he worked for the BBC and another guy who worked at the Palladium when he was in Joseph who told me he had relations with male cast members (this was all 20 years ago when they told me). He just didn't want to publically come out. Fair enough, then you do a Cliff Richard and stay a confirmed bachelor for the rest of your life and refuse to enter into speculation about your personal affairs, you dont dupe a woman into being a human shield for you. That is unkind and self serving and doesn't require accolades when you finally fess up about it.

Of course his hand was forced. And the ensuing pantomime is vomit inducing. "Oh everybody hugged me and told me they loved me and supported me and how glorious I've been despite my inner torment". Yeah, well maybe. But you can love someone and be devastated by their actions. You can support someone and be angry and hurt at the impact of their selfish decisions. I'm not buying the rainbow washing of their feelings and frankly it smacks of narcissistic manipulation that they haven't been given the space and time to say "this is devastating and I'm so hurt/confused etc" before they've been wheeled out to perform their supporting and glorifying role in the "hero's" life.

Give it a rest Phil. You were selfish and deceitful as many of us have also been in one way or another. You don't have to wear a hair shirt for the rest of your life but the actual truth not some mrdia schmaltz fest and a moment of contrition wouldn't go amiss.

KatyCarrCan · 10/02/2020 10:24

I'm not buying the rainbow washing
Yy what I don't understand is why anyone is and why they're letting him use his new community to hide behind rather than calling out his hypocrisy like they have done with others who tried to use 'coming out' to make bad stories disappear.

But, actually, considering how much ITV has to lose if a fraction of the stories are true then I'm now assuming a lot of the 'he's so brave and you're a nasty homophobe if you say otherwise' are probably being paid.

Lordfrontpaw · 10/02/2020 10:26

The attack is the best form of defence (as someone once said)

SpanishFly · 10/02/2020 10:29

The whole super injunction thing is awful. It shouldn't be allowed if someone has done something potentially illegal. How on earth can they pay for that activity to be hidden away??
And Piers Morgan would usually be very vocal about this kind of thing, so him saying nothing is equally conspicuous.

HangingOffYourCloud · 10/02/2020 10:40

And Piers Morgan would usually be very vocal about this kind of thing, so him saying nothing is equally conspicuous.

All part of the ITV family. Close ranks and keep schtum.

Aderyn19 · 10/02/2020 10:42

It's certainly odd if Piers Morgan, who has an opinion on everything , isnt commenting much

yolofish · 10/02/2020 11:15

As I just said on another thread, It's one thing to be proud to be gay. But if the allegations about the runner are true, that's quite another thing - the vast majority of the homosexual community are going to be appalled that they have supported a sexual predator.

Anjo2011 · 10/02/2020 11:16

One of the twitter accounts that has been very vocal has been suspended...this story seems
To be gathering pace

ManonBlackbeak · 10/02/2020 11:16

Piers has almost certainly known he’s gay for years like everyone else.

Interesting he doesn’t have an opinion on this though, as he was slagging Philip off only last week..

yolofish · 10/02/2020 11:17

Piers Morgan's column in Event (MoS) yesterday didnt mention it - and it goes to bed about mid-day on Friday I believe. Wonder if next week's will?

IamPickleRick · 10/02/2020 11:23

Can we pause for a moment to appreciate how gorgeous Kelly Osbourne looks Smile

Ok. As you were.

AnnDaloozier · 10/02/2020 11:25

? Why is she relevant

The80sweregreat · 10/02/2020 11:25

Piers has probably been told to lay off the whole thing.

yolofish · 10/02/2020 11:28

Piers has probably been told to lay off the whole thing.

Or of course the MoS are getting him to do the full expose on Sunday coming - given that ITV have given the shiny happy story to the Sun.

KatyCarrCan · 10/02/2020 11:32

If ITV policy is you can only be gushingly supportive or you lose your job then Piers probably won't say anything at all. Then he's not a hypocrite when/if everything eventually comes out.

IamPickleRick · 10/02/2020 11:34

She was on the piers interview trying to pull it away from inappropriateness. Do keep up Grin

BeyondReasonablyDoubtsLots · 10/02/2020 11:45

Here's Joan Collins, Perez, Kelly and Sharon osbourne on GMB, clip from when Joan commented...

twitter.com/darrenplymouth/status/1226787321741225984?s=21

SpanishFly · 10/02/2020 11:47

Yup that was exactly my point re Piers. He is very vocal on all "woke" issues, yet is staying quiet on this one. It makes the whole cover-up even more obvious.

BeyondReasonablyDoubtsLots · 10/02/2020 11:49

As I just said on the other thread, Piers' face towards the end of the clip is a picture - he looks like his mouth is full of bees!

Sunshineand · 10/02/2020 11:51

:42soberfabulous

I work in the media and it has been an open secret for decades that he is gay.

I believe so. I've just seen the Spitting Image ' glad not to be gay' piece they did on him and Jason Donovan on YouTube. Obviously common knowledge.

So I don't understand this whole 'youve always been a legend but never more so than this week.' 'so brave' . It's very very odd how everybody is fawning over him. ITV are disgusting the way they close ranks around their favourites and control the narrative. It's like there's only six presenters in the world Hmm

IamPickleRick · 10/02/2020 11:52

Sharon also squirming there.

bluebluezoo · 10/02/2020 11:53

I’d have far more respect for the man if he’d quietly separated from his wife, sorted out his issues with some good counselling, and simply turned up at an awards ceremony with his new partner, whatever their sex.

This whole public “stunning and brave” shit makes homosexuality seem like some huge deal. Maybe it was at one point, but i thought society was pretty much past that.

I met a new colleague the other day. Talking about something she mentioned her wife. Not an eyelid was batted, and this is in a fairly old school tie profession. Same when i’ve turned up to work do’s and someone has brought a same sex partner, it should be treated as perfectly normal, which it is.

No need for fanfares and glorification, for me it just puts homosexuality back in the “abnormal” box.

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