02 June 2023 , 08:42
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Phillip Schofield has compared himself to Caroline Flack as he said he was 'broken' and had 'lost everything' after admitting to having an affair with a young ITV staff member.
The 61-year-old former This Morning host said he hadn’t looked at any newspaper articles and deleted all his social media apps following his confession a week ago.
In a new interview that aired on the BBC, the dad-of-two revealed he “wouldn’t be here” without his two daughters, Molly, 30, and Ruby, 27, who “haven’t left his side”.
He said: “If my girls hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be here. Because I don’t see a future.
“How much do you want a man to take – and are you truly only happy when he’s dead? This is now Caroline Flack felt and it didn’t stop."
Phillip Schofield mocks Molly-Mae's baby name in cruel swipe at Love Island star
Phillip said he 'wouldn't be here' if it wasn't for his two daughters (BBC)Former Love Island host Caroline took her life in 2020 at the age of just 40 after being accused of assaulting her then boyfriend Lewis Burton.
The Met Police were criticised for the way they handled the case and have since apologised.
A coroner later ruled the star killed herself because she knew she was facing prosecution and feared the media attention surrounding her trial.
Comparing himself to his late ITV colleague Caroline, Phillip said he knew he had done something wrong and had "owned up to it", but felt criticism from trolls was "constant".
He said: “A friend texted me this morning saying, ‘Mate, this is relentless. What’s the agenda? When is this going to stop?’
“Someone said you’re being treated like Jack the Ripper and I haven’t looked at a single thing. That would be the final push.”
Former ITV presenter Caroline Flack took her own life in 2020 (Getty Images)The veteran TV presenter slammed accusations of a 'cover up' at ITV and denied there was ever an super injunction about his affair with the younger man, who was about 20 when it started.
Phillip also denied the man was ever paid off or moved to another show at his request when the affair ended.
There was also a rumour The Sun newspaper were going to expose the affair but didn’t in return for an exclusive interview about Phillip coming out as gay in 2020.
But Phillip denied this was true and said his recent confession had “brought myself down to a far greater degree that you [The Sun] could ever have done.”
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He continued: “I have to talk about television in past tense, which breaks my heart, but it continues and it is relentless day after day.
“If you don’t think that is going to have the most catastrophic effect on someone’s mind. Do you want me to die? Because that’s where I am.
“All these people that write all of that stuff, do they ever think there is a person at the end?”
Admitting he had now “lost everything” Phillip said the reason he was doing the BBC interview was not for himself, but the “innocent” younger man he had the affair with.
He said: “It was consensual, but it was my fault because I shouldn’t have done it. He is completely and entirely innocent. I was older and I should have known better.
“There’s no excuses, it’s my fault. But I think the fact I was trying to come to terms with who I was [before he came out as gay] what I was going to do about it, the effects it would have. I think that is probably the reason.”
Asked why the story was only coming out now, Phillip explained: “It got too big. The lie got too big for all of us.”