to think it matters whether Phillip Schofield met the runner when he was 12 or 15.

[couldanyoneexplain]

I've seen and heard both.
Obviously getting someone a job at 18 or 19 with exploitative intentions is sleazy in the extreme. 15 is underage and deeply concerning, but 12 is deep into paedo territory.

If you don't know, why assume he was a child? The timelines certainly don't suggest it.

But like the tragic case of nicola bulley earlier in the year, nowadays people love to put 2 and 2 together and make 5.

Both bad, but a sexual offence against a child under 13 is significantly worse in terms of the law

Well it didn’t work as there are 200 replies 🙄

They happened 40/50 years ago?

What part of "we don't actually know" did you twist into the 'assumption' he was a child when the relationship began??

Well we do know, as PS has told us. If you don't believe him, and prefer gossip, them that's your perogative.

OMG how naive are you?!

After the blatant lies he has ADMITTED to telling literally the world and its wife, with total impunity - and you want to believe him now?

I don't believe a word that comes out of his mouth. Not with his track record.

It's your prerogative if you wish to believe a self-confessed inveterate liar.

Well that's all the 'evidence' we have, but as I said, lots of people love to believe they know more than others with these high profile cases.

I think any adult who knew someone as a child should never enter into a relationship with them once they become an adult . It's just bloody wrong on every level !

Agree. It's classic grooming. PS really needs to look up the term grooming . And by paying for the runners legal representative PS is still using his power over him !

Yes Johnny cash & Elvis,. It doesn't matter when they were, none of them had their careers ended because of it. but Bill Wyman was in 1993

@Nat6999 so because they didn't have their careers ended, PS shouldn't?

That's crazy! I was a teenager when Bill Wyman was with Mandy Smith and remember being disgusted by it and also remember my mum and dad being angry about it too and not understanding how her parents were accepting of it.

We should learn from the past and be better, not accept abhorrent things today just because they were accepted 30 plus years ago.

I imagine the runner needs legal representation to protect his privacy, as he isn’t issuing statements. If so it’s entirely appropriate PS pay for it

Of course he does , but definatly not paid for by the man who is accused of grooming him . It's just more control over the runner by PS . It could not be more inappropriate !

I dont think PS has groomed the young man .

Other celebs have met their future flings when they were younger - it doesn't appear PS had much contact with the man in question until he was well above the age of consent and helped him get a job

There is also no evidence that he had him removed from his job - he allegedly applied for a promotion and got it

The comparisons to CF meeting LP are valid - he was 16 , but there is no suggestion she groomed him before their legitimately legal relationship.

This is a witch hunt . The facts are when they worked closely a relationship developed and a fling happened . It ended . The young man moved jobs .

I think the timing of this is unfortunate because of schofields brother being jailed but nor do I think the timing is coincidence.

There is no evidence he groomed anyone. There was minimal contact between them - the man asked him to follow him and asked his advice re getting from a drama school into television. I'm sure any one with any investigative skill could very easily and quickly look at what the actual contact between them online was prior to the pair meeting and working together- when both were adults .

It's mass hysteria and hypocrisy at its finest . And it's time to leave the men involved alone , let the enquiry take place and then judge based on the evidence .

Yes yes @AnyaMarx - nothing to see here, move along people. We can't have powerful and influential men held to account for their misdeeds and wrongdoings, that's not how our mysoginistic society works and you little women should know your place!

😂. If that's the best counter argument anyone can come up with I'll stick to my reasoned opinion and wait for the evidence of any investigation.

The ponification over this topic is nosy white-entitled Brexit-failure Britain with f*ck-all-to-do-except-watch-TV-in-the-daytime at it's worse.

It also feeds the homos-are-paedos poundshop Alpha fantasy.

If it was Boris Johnson doing it to a girl he'd just be 'a bit of a lad'.

Yep.

It also feeds the homos-are-paedos poundshop Alpha fantasy.

100000% this.

Its a shame gay men are STILL tolerating this level of homophobia

We'd all be interested to see what evidence you have personally been presented with and it's source and standing in this issue.

I'll wait.

Where? He got off lighter than if he were sleeping with a young woman.

One gay man doing wrong and being criticised is not homophobia. It just males people roll their eyes when this is used to excuse what happened.

Had it been a big story? Yes. Had it for anything to do with his sexuality, no.

He got off
Lighter ?

How ?

He's lost his job , reputation, entire career and actually for nothing illegal !

Jesus we've had politicians do
Worse and come back .

He had a fling . Like millions do and the relationship board on this forum is full of the same - my husband is having an affair with his colleague whose 25 years his junior- do those men get hauled over the coals publicly, hounded , trolled and lose everything? No . Because that's life . Morally it might be shot but legally it's not . Why should this one man be treated differently because of the job he does ?

Yes I’m unsure what he ‘got off’ with considering he didn’t do anything terrible to anyone except his wife.

Or because he's gay

One of my colleagues married his former kids babysitter! Totally successful relationship on every front - lovely couple , totally sorted .

This thread is batshit .