To think the media need to be careful...

[apairofjeanstharfitjustright]

Whatever Philip Schofield has done, I think the media need to be careful, look what happened to Caroline Flack. Completely vilified in the press and the same is happening to Philip.

Regardless of what I think of him, I think the media need to back off and tread lightly here.

AIBU or do you think he deserves all of this?

It's extremely disturbing how many people - presumably mothers - appear to be completely fine with middle aged men befriending children then fucking them the minute they reach the age of consent.

HPpiestsleeping and donut, how many seconds of your life have you wasted clicking on a thread you're not interested in, is your time really so important?

This.

Posters on here downplaying this and trying to find excuses are ignoring the power dynamic at play - PS got this young man a job, the young man knew that PS had the power to hire him and fire him and ruin any chance he had of working in the industry. PS lied about the relationship between them thus forcing the young man to also lie, deny and hide their relationship. Was that kind to the young man? Was that a reasonable way to treat the young man? Not it wasn't, it was appalling behaviour by PS.

The misuse of power is all too apparent and noted when it is high powered, heterosexual, male executives doing the same with younger women, the fact that this time it is a homosexual male doesn't make it any less unacceptable. PS describing it as unwise is dreadful minimising of what he did.

I think you can be both thinking that PS is dodgy and it’s right that he’s left ITV without wanting to see him (or anyone) be torn to shreds by the media for the viewing pleasure of the public.

I don’t like what I know of Philip Schofield but I don’t like anyone being hounded, and I hate Tricoteuse mentality.

That is not being an apologist

If this was a girl in the US, there'd be lots of fathers going to get their gun.

I don't like the way the media builds them up and knocks them down but this is disgusting, secretive behaviour from PS and I'd be surprised if we haven't just scratched the surface.

FFS he lost a job. Big deal. The same job plenty of women have lost because they dared to disagree with him or commit the sin of aging.

He's not under arrest, he's not going to prison. He's really facing very few consequences compared to the lives and careers that he's ruined. Comparisons to execution are pretty overwrought.

This always happens, doesn't it, when men are accused of being sexual predators? Hugely wealthy male celebs can lose one movie role (when no one is entitled to movie roles) and everyone loses their damn minds and starts screeching about how unfair it is, everyone has the right to work, innocent until proven guilty, etc. Yet actresses and female presenters regularly lose their entire careers just because they got older, stood up for themselves, or turned someone powerful down for sex.

For his management of 35 years to drop him suggests to me there is more to come
His daughter is talent manager for YMU, so she must have had an idea what was happening " behind the scenes,even if ITV are saying they only heard rumours and hearsay
The media have no duty of care to him, and I'm sure there will be another story of this " broken man"
It's his DM I feel sorry for.
Eldest son is in prison and younger son's reputation damaged forever
Being gay isn't a problem( my DS is gay) but the sleazy behaviour is

Is there anything that can't be turned into a Meghan and Harry pity party? Have they been accused of grooming anyone, have they lost a job, no it is nothing to do with them.

Beatrixkidd - There seems to be a lot of speculation in your post. Do you know for a fact that PS got the young man fired? Do you have evidence that he attended television events with PS whilst underage?

I have posted? Look at my history!!!

He lost his job years after it all happened. He's made millions so could go and live in obscurity with that dirty money.

The industry is known for children being targets of powerful men. There will be countless other men who have used their job to take advantage of children who will never be outed but taking advantage of children shouldn't be excused.

I understand why others felt unable to speak up. PS was clearly protected by management and nobody wants to go up against the ITV poster boy and risk their job. Holly wasn't on mega bucks when she started at ITV and she has probably had her contract extended each time because of PS's approval and the fact that she was willing to act like they were besties. If she'd stood up to him after he came out then she'd be roasted for homophobia. She obviously helped the decision to sack PS but that's because years of sucking up has given her that power.

she has probably had her contract extended each time because of PS's approval

I suspect the reverse is true given her husbands position and connections.

And me. There's nothing more unedifying than a righteous mob

I don't watch TM but I know that a few other women have quit the show because of PS.
I think that Holly is being targeted unfairly though.

Fwiw I don’t think PS is in this position because of his relationship with the runner. I think he’s court evidence regarding his brother is the catalyst (he knew and did nothing) and his past is no longer being protected.

@WheelsUp from what I can glean I think the professional relationship was mutually beneficial whilst they were presenting an acceptable front. I think the recent court case with PS’s brother has lost him HW’s support and that’s why we’ve seen the distancing and withdrawal of his backing.

Some details of the lies, that led to other people suffering detriment at TM and ITV. I think the Mail on Sunday has a lot more.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12131057/ITV-say-DID-investigate-rumours-Phillip-Schofields-affair-younger-male-employee.html

I’m more concerned about the mental health of the young man involved but yes they need to be careful.

For goodness sake, this is absolutely nothing like Caroline Flack. She did nothing wrong and was bullied and victimized by the press. He's a vile manipulative, lying groomer, by his own admission. Think instead how his victim feels and the victim of his pedophile brother, the one PS knew about and did nothing at all about it. No doubt they've felt like ending their own lives at some point.

Whatever he does I could not care less. I'm just glad he has finally been seen for what he is and that his career is over.

So so many people saying he's awful to work with and treats people like crap, I don't remember people saying that about Caroline.

Actually I think there is a really important conversation to be had about how celebrity protects people and hoe many people are prepared to turn a blind eye to exploitation in order to protect their own careers.

It's why Maxwell and Epstein and Savill got away with it so long. Money and power.

We have learned nothing.

For goodness sake, this is absolutely nothing like Caroline Flack. She did nothing wrong

she attacked her boyfriend..

I think you need to get a grip and actually your post is really insulting to Caroline Flack's memory to even compare the two.
No, I don't think the media needs to be careful in this case.

No speculation.

There are photos of them attending TV events together while he was underage, and tweets from PS to the boy referencing attending events together that are datestamped.

It's on the record that the young man was let go from his job on This Morning. That's not in dispute.

It's been widely reported that the reason all this started was because the boy was angry at being fired and threatened to out Schofield.

Remember, this teenager wasn't just some random behind the scenes runner. He was regularly appearing on camera, doing interviews, sitting on the sofa being chatty and friendly with Phil and Holly, he even did a TV segment shirtless once. A big part of what made the rumours leap from being something that was common knowledge within the TV industry, to being speculated about by viewers, was how suddenly and aggressively this random teenage runner was being showcased on air.

Ruth put in an official complaint about Schofield's behaviour towards the boy. Katie Hopkins (yes I know she's awful) did a video outright saying that Schofield was having an inappropriate relationship with this teenage runner, that she'd been out to dinner with them and witnessed inappropriate stuff, and that was why he was being given all these onscreen opportunities. Joan Collins appeared on Piers Morgan's show and referenced "inappropriate" allegations.