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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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BeyondReasonablyDoubtsLots · 11/02/2020 19:06

Jojo- Elton John successfully sued the s*n for libel in the 80's for saying he was gay.... 😂

Onlyforthispost1 · 11/02/2020 19:23

@Linning and @Youca

I don't especially like or care about PS but I just wanted to say how glad I am I decided to read the thread.

You'll never know how much you have helped a complete stranger put the pieces together. Smile

Jojoanna · 11/02/2020 19:34

Beyond reasonabledoubt EJ sued the sun for claiming he had sex with underage rent boys ,,

NutEIIaFitzgerald · 11/02/2020 19:57

Good point rainbow At 23 the young man has his own agency wrt relationships and he has been grafting for several years now so production assistant is a well deserved title - it does not allow for jokes such as Big Gay Phil Has Done A Runner or Phillip and the Gofer though
I did like the tweet that went out that was a news headline mock up that said Piers Morgan has come out as a cunt - his friends and family have known for years.
Piers's son responded: So proud of you Dad x
In fairness to him, Piers then retweeted it which shows a robust sense of humour even if his ego/sense of self-importance is well established. He might be a twunt when it come to Megan Markle/Jameela Jamil spats but is more thick-skinned than his crony Trump.
Am still surprised he has shut down the PS story though given someone claimed he was allegedly arguing with Martin Frizell who wrote the speech (a carefully orchestrated coming out reported as a 24 hour frenzy

thistimeofyear · 11/02/2020 20:50

Don't like PS and never watch him and Holly - cannot stand the way DM always appears to publish articles about their latest japes "cracking up, losing it" on show - as if we care... BUT his wife is/was a grown woman and there were 2 of them in the marriage. She could have told him to stuff it years ago but she didn't. She chose to marry him despite the rumours or otherwise and she chose to stay - Marriages are not all about sex - lots of people marry for other reasons. They've grown up together - I don't think he has betrayed her - she knew I suspect and chose to stay for the sake of the family or because she doesn't hate him, she accepts him. And quite likes the life they have - each to their own? I have a friend who married for money - her DH has a very well paid job - I wouldn't want to - but she seems really happy with her lot - beautiful house, unlimited spending money, doesn't work, etc etc.

smashstore · 11/02/2020 21:01

Elton John successfully sued the sn for libel in the 80's for saying he was gay.... 😂

No, he really didn't.

HarryDaylight · 11/02/2020 21:40

I'm assuming that MM, like everyone else working in the industry has a Non Disclosure Clause in his contract.

He will be unemployable now if he has breached that clause, or has been seen to have breached that clause.

If he was innocent of breaching his contract, and is still on good terms with PS then why is he not shouting from the rooftops?

And why is PS not defending him and denying the rift in their relationship if he was his mentor for all those years?

pumpkinbump · 11/02/2020 21:58

The way he has gone about it all has really made me dislike him. I haven't read the thread but he was apparently having an affair with his personal assistant, a young man less than half his age. Sorry if anyone has already mentioned this.

Expo · 11/02/2020 21:58

@pumpkinbump yip has been mentioned Grin

HarryDaylight · 11/02/2020 22:08

A young male who was well under the legal age of consent.

pumpkinbump · 11/02/2020 22:10

Thanks expo :)

I didn't know that bit Harry! I should hope he is removed from TV. I saw him in this morning yesterday and he looked as smug as he could.

Seasalted · 11/02/2020 22:47

Many don't believe that the timing was ps choice despite him saying he wasn't pushed-why the need to say that? How many stars come out on the show they present? None. Is it because the show was embroiled in it all? No smoke without fire. It'll come out eventually. He's come across as a pathetic creepy coward. I don't feel sorry for him at all just his wife and kids.

pumpkinbump · 11/02/2020 22:51

I don't feel sorry for him either. My first thought was for his wife and then his kids but they way they described it when he was on TV having just come out uoibwouod think he wife and kids were throwing a party over it.

pumpkinbump · 11/02/2020 22:53

You would think* I don't think it was particularly brave. Barrymore did it 20 years ago. Get a grip Phil.

nauticant · 11/02/2020 23:04

A young male who was well under the legal age of consent.

There's evidence they met well before MM was sixteen but that's the extent of what's known. What we do know looks damning enough. We don't need to embellish it.

TooManyPaws · 11/02/2020 23:36

And secondly you can't stop other countries publishing it. PS is not a global star, or even a eu one, just U.K., so likely other countries don't care, it won't be printed, but trying to stop social media will be simply impossible. Sites can only be expected to do so much.

Superinjunctions and plain old injunctions made by a court in England or Wales don't have any effect in Scotland which is a different legal system. 😉 Didn't a Scottish newspaper previously break an injunction?

HeIenaDove · 12/02/2020 00:17

During a panel discussion on Good Morning Britain on Monday, the actress responded to ITV presenter Phillip Schofield coming out as gay

I thought the correct terminology was acTOR now whether its a man or woman in the profession being discussed.

PotholeParadise · 12/02/2020 00:22

Joan prefers "actress".

www.spectator.co.uk/2019/12/joan-collins-im-an-actress-not-an-actor-and-yes-it-matters/amp/

lilgreen · 12/02/2020 07:26

www.spiked-online.com/2020/02/10/the-bizarre-beatification-of-phillip-schofield/
Interesting article kinda sums it all up.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 12/02/2020 09:36

I liked the Spiked article up to a point. Where it fell apart was in its failure to recognise the sexed and gendered nature of 'being gay'. Gay men are venerated, loved and adored and increasingly given that part of male privilege that has been denied them up until now (although in many areas and sectors they have always had male privilege). Lesbians, unless they are femme and prepared to at least say they will have sex with 'women with penises' are the lowest of the low - and those not conforming to men's ideas of women's attractiveness in body or personality always have been.

So But the idea of ‘straight privilege’ is especially ridiculous. Right now, among the Western political and cultural establishments, it is gayness that is celebrated while straightness is deemed to be drab, dull, predictable and in urgent need of a fabulous makeover (witness Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Ru Paul’s Drag Race, and all the other embarrassing gays-as-cultural-kings stuff that passes for entertainment these days) isn't true for most lesbian women. Just gay men. Schofield's male privilege also needs to be acknowledged in this aspect and others.

SpanishFly · 12/02/2020 10:14

The Pink News article says it isnt helpful to say "we all knew anyway"; and is immediately followed by "nadia comeneci confirms what we knew all along" 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

SpanishFly · 12/02/2020 10:15

*followed by an article

feelingverylazytoday · 12/02/2020 11:55

I don't think JD is gay he successfully sued The Face for libel
Liberace once sued The Daily mirror for libel, for implying he was gay. He won. We all know the truth now.

SpanishFly · 12/02/2020 12:54

Is there anything at all to suggest JD is gay, though? PS has had rumours and named lovers