To think Phillip schofield scandal is homophobia?

[ivfregret]

Have I missed something in that the guy Philip had the affair with was not a minor?

He was a minor when they met, as was Cheryl Cole and Liam Payne for example and no one has anything bad to say about that relationship.

I'm not sticking up for Philip and really dislike him, and also think even if the runner was above the age of consent is most definitely questionable behaviour but I can't help think of it was a heterosexual affair it would not be treated in the same way?

He worked as Philip's PA during the years he was at ITV TM (March 2016 - Jan 2020) He would have an NDA related to that. He may well have signed an NDA as well related to a payoff if such a thing did happen but he seems to have wanted to not be front and center in the limelight about this whole relationship.

None of that has evidence beyond what has been posted here.

I'm not quite 40 yet and 20 year olds seem like babies to me! It's bizarre anyone of a mature age even thinking someone in their teens is fine - even above the age of consent. As I said up thread, brains are not even fully developed.

None of that has evidence beyond what has been posted here.

You clearly don't read very thoroughly.

It's not about who he was with, it's about how old they were when they met.

I think most people struggle with the notion of a famous man in a position of power meeting a child, keeping in touch with them until they reach adulthood, setting them up with a job very close to themselves then sparking an immediate sexual relationship with them.

In most people's books that is grooming.

And beside that, he admitted in court (transcripts partly published in mainstream press) that he knew his brother was having a sexual relationship with a minor and he didn't report it.

I have zero sympathy.

What evidence do you see there that hasn't already been mentioned? It rehashes the same things.

No evidence from before he was 15
The picture from when he was 15 and Philip visited the theatre
The following on twitter accounts
The coming to ITV for a day when he was 18
The 3 weeks as a work placement when he was 19
The job starting when he was 20

I haven't really followed but I thought it was about grooming.

Fact he failed to inform police when his brother was engaged in illegal activity with a minor and then convicted of it.

Then the long rumour of affair with a young man he met when a very young teen then got him a job where he had power over him and started an affair.

I have to say as a mother of teens - I think grooming for sexual exploitation is a big deal.

I do wonder why it's all come out now - as rumours have been around a while to point I'd heard of them but to minimise it an not a big deal is wrong IMO.

@AntiSocial6DaysAWeek no spring chicken here either.

I remember Bill Wyman and Mandy Smith being interviewed by Terry Wogan in the late 80’s and watching it with a sense of unease. She was so young!

I hadn’t heard of the two Corey’s. Just had a quick search, will read a bit more about it later.

It isn't odd to meet and keep in contact with a child if that child is in your life on a regular basis. I have known my friends kids since they were young because I am friends with their parents. I know my kids friends too.

This was not a random child he sought out. This child was in his life via his friend Simon and possibly unknown other connections.

We don't know what happened between them or didn't happen between them when he was a child. Any guesses are just that... guesses and speculation

Freeballing

It almost doesn't matter if he groomed him or not (though obviously if he did, that's V V bad). The fact is, he met a 15 year old when he was 40 years old, who he then, at the very least, befriended and held a position of power over. He gave this boy privileges. He then had sex with this boy when he turned 18 and Philip was 43. The pictures of MM do not show him as an older, mature looking 18 year old. He still looks 15 at age 18. So Philip had sex with someone who, regardless of legal age, looked like a minor.

What fully grown adult in their 40s, befriends a 15 year old, then sleeps with them as soon as they turn 18 (when they still look 15), behind their spouses back?? And then continues to sleep with them while holding a position of power over them, for years and years.

Would you befriend a young boy then sleep with them behind your spouse's back as soon as they turn 18? Is that ok??

I personally do believe the boy was groomed, but even if not, there was a massive abuse of power and a huge age difference made even more inappropriate by the fact the 'boy' at 18 still looked like a child. Most adults are not attracted to teens. They just are not.

Quite!

when he was 15 and Philip visited the theatre

So you don't think it's weird for someone in his 50's to meet a 15 year old then go on to have a sexual relationship a few years later?

Not sure if you're playing devil's advocate, or you think PS has done nothing wrong and you think that would be morally acceptable?

I don't think its homophobia. Have a look back at the David Cameron interview on the show when he makes a (in retrospect) very pointed comment to Phil about the issue raised coming across as anti-gay and something to be avoided.

I think PS has made himself a lot of enemies in the business. It is unsavoury at best but he has found himself alone with few allies unless I have missed something. The higher they climb, the harder they fall and all that. This has been simmering for years. ITV are at fault absolutely. They made the mistake of allowing the presenters to become more important than the show and assume far too much importance and clout. Thats just my take on things.

He has done a very good deal with MM (as usual, more in his interests than MM's). However, it is morally reprehensible that he is getting away with so much. There are other young men, basically. His place was a shag pad for all and sundry for years - like an urban Neverland.

As I mentioned before, it goes way back. It wasn't recent. If only Gordon the Gopher could speak.

The rumous of the shag pad are not of him bringing back children and under 18 teens. It does go way back to the 90s as I posted before. It wasn't even really a secret.

I remember thinking the same about Chris Evans and Billie Piper.

And 'twinks' have been a pretty common desirable aspect of the gay community for a long long time.

Whether you think it is morally reprehensible or not, twinks with older men was not something started by or in any way specific to PS.

No, its grooming a much younger man, (first met at age 15), who asked for a job.
PS was in a position of control. Gave him special privileges at work, etc,
When the affaire ended, the young man was paid off.
PS is apparantly universally disliked among his colleagues, who either knew or suspected, and believe the management knew and covered it up.

I think everyone around him knew but out of respect for the young lad, and fear of upsetting the cart particularly with employment prospects, didn’t leak it. It could be that is was ‘legal’ technically. There was probably some sort of pay-off to the young lad. I think when it was about to break last time, PS came out. That would have garnered some sympathy. It did seem weird to come out when there was no reason to announce it.

What was his downfall was his brother. That was the tipping point for the people around him. That PS so dramatically showed his ‘disgust’ at his brother. That was probably the time the lad said I am not going to lie anymore (and there’s nothing I can do to stop it) and people in the industry said enough enough now.

People don’t like being manipulated and there’s been a lot of manipulation, lies and secrets. PS image relied on the complete opposite of that for contracts.

I haven't read the full thread so someone may already have posted this video. But when I saw it I realised what a young young boy MM appeared to be. I'm assuming that as MM is drinking a large glass of wine in this video, he's likely over 18. But I think you'll agree he looks like a young teen. This video made me feel v uneasy and it does somewhat paint PS as a groomer...

https://fb.watch/kUchHONiCn/

I know it is ancient. But so is underage boys sneaking into gay clubs.

But why do you give him the benefit of the doubt regarding their ages when there were so many of them and the drink/drugs were flowing ?

This was not a random child he sought out.

He started following him on Twitter two months before he actually met him. When he was a very young looking 15.

Aside from the relationship power imbalance and ITV management of whistleblowers, I get the impression that Schofield must have made a few enemies over the years with his attitude. There is an element of glee in the media reporting that suggests he's pissed people off who are now having the last laugh.

A very arrogant individual in my workplace finally got made redundant in a financial scandal and I very much enjoyed the moment.

People need to look into how PS got HIS own big break in the first place if they want to understand how far back it goes.