01 June 2023 , 17:28
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Phillip Schofield's wife Stephanie Lowe has reportedly been left feeling betrayed after discovering his affair with a younger colleague that took place during their marriage.
Friends of Stephanie have claimed the mother of Phillip's two daughters, Molly and Ruby, had "no idea" her husband was in a secret relationship with another man before he came out as gay on This Morning in 2020.
It's also been claimed that Phillip's eldest daughter Molly only found out about her father's statement, in which he admitted to having an affair with the young colleague, minutes before it was released.
She was reportedly at work at YMU, the talent agency that represented her father for 35 years before parting ways with the disgraced presenter after news of his affair was released.
Phillip and his wife remained close after he came out as gay and were spotted attending Leigh Francis's 50th birthday together in April earlier this year.
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A source said: "Steph is absolutely devastated, she had no idea of any of this. She is a trusting woman who has supported Phil for many, many years so this has been a real shock to her."
Phillip admitted to cheating on his wife Stephanie (WireImage)
Molly reportedly found out about her dad's affair minutes before it was released (Getty Images)"Phil always positioned the man as a friend so that has prompted a fair bit of anger, to put it mildly. It is literally the most heartbreaking thing that could have happened to Steph, it isn't just the relationship but the deceit," a source told the Daily Mail.
After stepping down as This Morning host, Phillip parted ways with ITV and is management company following his affair revelation.
He explained: "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."
"I am painfully conscious that 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...," he said in a statement released to the Daily Mail.
He continued: “I have therefore decided to step down from the British Soap Awards, my last public commitment, and am resigning from ITV with immediate effect expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me.
“I will reflect on my very bad judgement in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it.”