Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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:
Thread gallery
8
DandyDuchess · 10/02/2020 11:55

I can’t stand the fact that Kelly O and others keep repeating how PS is now “living his truth”, when that’s precisely what he’s NOT doing.

ManonBlackbeak · 10/02/2020 11:56

Just watched the Joan Collins clip, the way she gestured and says ‘we all knew’. Brilliant!

DandyDuchess · 10/02/2020 11:58

Yes Joan C was BRINGING IT. I loved how she asked Perez Hilton “what inappropriateness?” as if she doesn’t know.

BeyondReasonablyDoubtsLots · 10/02/2020 12:00

Yy blue, I don't know anyone who has "come out" in the past twenty or so years! Plenty of "oh here is my new partner", but no "I'm living my truth" palaver.

Alsohuman · 10/02/2020 12:05

He’s assumedly robbed his wife of a physical relationship and destroyed any trust.
He cheated on her and has placed her at risk of STDs

Which is it? It can’t be both. I don’t think she needs or wants all the pity. Sex is sex, it’s not love. They quite clearly love one another and have a strong bond, he demonstrably hasn’t destroyed trust. It’s clear that there’s a massive amount of projection going on, this is about nobody except the Schofields.

KatyCarrCan · 10/02/2020 12:12

Well, only the Schofields ... and the other people he had affairs with, and his co-host conducting the interview, and his colleagues who alleged he bullied them but now have to pretend that doesn't matter because he was 'struggling' with his sexuality ...

Alsohuman · 10/02/2020 12:14

The “pity” for Stephanie Lowe has nothing to do with any of those people or anyone else at all. There are two people in that marriage.

yolofish · 10/02/2020 12:17

or maybe to quote Diana at times "there were three people in the marriage"?

nauticant · 10/02/2020 12:20

I could go with the no one else's business line if Phillip Schofield hadn't gone through that pantomime last week on the telly in front of millions and we hadn't been exposed to a hugely expensive and extensive PR campaign.

Alsohuman · 10/02/2020 12:21

There certainly aren’t the cast of thousands a pp suggested.

SpanishFly · 10/02/2020 12:28

There were two people in the marriage. But apparently one was more important than the other.

Sunshineand · 10/02/2020 12:28

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

Yes and Twitter hardly ever suspend people.

This superinjunction or whatever the cover up is is so annoying, because Meghan is fair game to make shit up about but the truth can't be spoken about 'poor brave Phil' and he must be protected at all costs.

Alsohuman · 10/02/2020 12:36

But apparently one was more important than the other

Or perhaps it suits both of them.

Anjo2011 · 10/02/2020 12:36

Had it all been open and honest from the get go on Friday with the big announcement, I don’t think there would be this level of speculation. Like anything in life, the more you try to shroud the truth the more people will dig until the truth prevails. I’m guessing that his wife knew long before the reveal and has had some time to get her head around what’s happening. I hope for her sake that he was as honest as he claims he was and she’s not in for a nasty surprise. There’s no doubt they have a great deal of love between them, you can’t be in someone’s life for that long and not have some connection. It all looks a little strained and uneasy on TM and I bet some of the inner circle are absolutely bricking it.

KatyCarrCan · 10/02/2020 12:42

Oh, to be a rich white man on TV. The knots that people will tie themselves in to try to exonerate everything you do. Even to the extent of ignoring your own interviews.

yolofish · 10/02/2020 12:47

yy katy. What on earth would you have to do wrong to be toppled?

daisychain01 · 10/02/2020 12:52

there were three people in the marriage

Nope. There was, and only ever can be, one person when PS is involved, and that is of course him.

No matter how you try to search for other alternative explanations and perspectives, there really aren't any.

KatyCarrCan · 10/02/2020 12:54

daisy that made me laugh Grin Although I think you're probably right that everything is about him.

HandsOffMyLangCleg · 10/02/2020 12:59

He's not the first and won't be the last powerful man to do anything to maintain his position.

I've just finished watching the Profumo series, where Promfumo blatantly lied privately and publicly in statements.

He only resigned just before his activities were about to be made public by the media.

PS takes it one step further though in portraying himself as the 'victim' here.

yolofish · 10/02/2020 13:03

that's where the skill comes in though HandsOff - to portray yourself as the victim and get the sympathy vote means you've immediately taken the oxygen away from those with genuine issues. Until, of course they get some new steam, and if they're proven then you've doubly fucked things up.

(sorry, some mixed metaphors there!)

WaktiWapnasi · 10/02/2020 13:17

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.

Nah - Piers Morgan is keeping his gob shut because he is the puppet master and he's letting his puppets do the talking.

Pet theory. The three big ITV super egos (Morgan, Holmes and Schofield). I think Schofe has gotten too big for his boots and pissed off one or both of the other two and they are out to bring him down a peg or two.

Where did the first rumblings about Schofes prima donna behaviour come from? Amanda Holden. Who is Amanda Holden affiliated too? Piers Morgan. Piers Morgan also has friends and influence in the print media. Where did the bizarre "apropos to nothing" article about the show runner mysteriously leaving This Morning come from? Was it a red top that a certain PM may have affiliations with?

Then who? Ruth Langsford, wife of Holmes makes a complaint to wit Schofield is utterly defiant and hey presto we, out of the blue have the revelation of Schofields achilles heel - his homosexuality... (and rumours of inappropriate and nepotistic behaviour bubbling under the surface). The likely hood of a gagging order on the details of those rumors is high and so an actual proper expose is unlikely but "Oh look", it just so happens that allusions to it are made on the program that who hosts?

Anybody? Anybody?

Yes, Piers Morgan. And of course he is seen to shut it down and play the party line. That's the game - you never let the leaking of a story trace back to you but I'd bet my car that this is where it's coming from.

The whole thing is a game of "Big Willies" with PM holding the trump gay card. And that is why were seeing the whole "stunning and brave" narrative. Not because he's had an epiphany and wants to live his most authentic life blah, blah, blah but because he's playing a switcharoo and neutralising the attack. It Grandiose Narc Battleships but unfortunately there are real innocent people who are likely to get hurt by this bullshit.

Lordfrontpaw · 10/02/2020 13:20

But there is a trumpier card that the gay one (which is pretty old hat these days anyway). Who will play it?

WaktiWapnasi · 10/02/2020 13:50

I'll bet there is.

Depends on whether the revised statement to the Sun (which I'm betting was a power play by PM who probably had someone get in touch and say "ahem! that's not the actual truth and we know where the skeletons are to prove it - care to correct a few details?") was enough of a capitulation.

Mind you the whole "Glory, glory, hallelujah - Praise be the Sun God" schtick on DOI probably isn't the greatest move if you want to appear humbled and contrite.

I'm sure we haven't heard the last of this.

WhatKatyHid · 10/02/2020 13:51

That's a laughable amount of imagined backstabbing to try to pretend PS isn't a lying, cheating scumbag. I'm sure Piers Morgan will love it that you think he's so influential though Grin

Lordfrontpaw · 10/02/2020 13:59

I was reading about the diabetes inducing performance gushing by fellow presenters on some show this weekend (skating or dancing or summit). The comments on the online story were 100% NOT swallowing it at all.