18 February 2024 , 13:32
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Phillip Schofield has broken cover with his daughter Molly after it was revealed he and his ex lover have signed mutual non-disclosure agreements to stop them ever speaking publicly about their affair.
The former TV presenter, 61, has kept a low profile since the scandal broke last year. Phil admitted to an extra-marital affair with a colleague 34 years his junior and quit This Morning before withdrawing from his entire broadcasting commitments.
Ben Shephard was this week announced as his replacement on This Morning while Stephen Mulhern has stepped into Phil's shoes on Dancing On Ice alongside his former pal Holly Willoughby.
After stepping back from his primetime roles, Phil is said to have been given reassurance by a 'watertight' NDA with his former partner. The star is said to now be 'sleeping easy' knowing that revelations of the affair that ended his TV career will never come to light.
As he took a walk through west London this weekend, Phil cut a pensive figure as he chatted to daughter Molly. He previously revealed his daughters had been a great source of support to him. Phil is still married to his girls' mother Stephanie Lowe, who has also stood by him through a difficult few months.
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Phillip Schofield looked glum as he broke cover after it was revealed he and his former partner have signed an NDA agreement (CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
Phil was seen carrying a little black puppy in his arms as he took a stroll with daughter Molly Schofield (CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)Phil was carrying in his arms a small black puppy which he is understood to have homed to give him some company after quitting London and his pals at ITV for a quiet life in Cornwall.
Friends have claimed Phil has no plans to return to the limelight.
Phil, 61, saw his personal and professional life implode last year when it was revealed he had engaged in an "unwise but not illegal" affair with a younger male colleague, who he worked with on the set of This Morning. The presenter admitted a romance got underway after they 'shared a moment' in his dressing room.
In an explosive mea culpa last year, Phil admitted to lying about the affair and resigned from ITV completely weeks after quitting This Morning as news of bitter behind-the-scenes arguments with 42-year-old Holly Willoughby had overshadowed the reputation of the show.
The younger man, known as Person X, was hired to work as a runner on This Morning when he was 19 but his working relationship with Phil turned romantic once he turned 20.
Schofield is also understood to have helped the younger man financially with his legal costs and for his financial losses - he is believed to have quit his career in the TV industry in the wake of the scandal.
A lawyer speaking on behalf of Schofield told the Mirror: "Person X instructed [Phillip's lawyers] to seek from Phillip Schofield payment of his substantial legal costs in dealing with the media to protect his privacy, compensation for the loss of his job and home, and other financial losses suffered as a consequence of the media coverage of their relationship. This was incorporated in an agreement which included a mutual non-disclosure provision."
Phil is said to be 'sleeping easy' knowing details of his affair will be kept under wraps (CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
Phil previously thanked his daughter's Molly and Ruby for supporting him through the scandal (CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)A source told the Mail on Sunday: “It means that Phil knows that his young ex will not ever be able to speak about their relationships so he can probably sleep a lot better at night now. He has lost a lot but imagine if the full details came out – it would be pretty cataclysmic for him.”
The source has hit out at Phil, however, highlighting a degree of hypocrisy over the fact he gave a tell-all interview to the BBC last June following his dramatic quitting of ITV, during which he shared details about his affair. The source added: “It's a bit rich to present an NDA after Phil had his say with the BBC last year.”
Phillip Schofield and his former partner on the set of This Morning with Holly WilloughbyIn an explosive statement released last May, Phil said: “The first thing I want to say is: I am deeply sorry for having lied to them, and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on This Morning. I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning. Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over.”
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He added at the time: “I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife.”