Phillip Schofield dropped by talent agency after 35 years amid bombshell ITV exit
Posted by  badge Boss on May 27, 2023 - 10:10AM
Caption: Phillip Schofield dropped by talent agency after 35 years amid bombshell ITV exit REX

has been dropped by his talent agency following his shock exit from .

After a lengthy stint on our screens, the 61-year-old – which he presented alongside close pal – last week.

He has since left ITV with ‘immediate effect’ after confirming that he had .

As well as this, s, with a replacement yet to be announced.

Following his exit, it has now been announced that YMU has ‘parted company’ with Schofield after 35 years.

Mary Bekhait, the Group CEO of YMU Group, told Metro.co.uk in a statement: ‘Honesty and integrity are core values for YMU’s whole business, defining everything we do. Talent management is a relationship based entirely on trust.

Schofield has left ITV with immediate effect (Picture: PA)

‘This week, we have learned important new information about our client Phillip Schofield.

These facts contradicted what Phillip had previously told YMU, as well as the external advisors we had brought in to support him.

‘As a result, on Thursday we agreed to part company with Phillip, with immediate effect.’

Schofield told Metro.co.uk, via his lawyers, that he had ‘stepped down’ from being represented by the agency.

Phillip presented This Morning with Holly Willoughby (Picture: ITV)

‘It is with the most profound regret that after 35 years of being faultlessly managed by YMU I have agreed to step down from their representation with immediate effect,’ he added.

The news comes just after Schofield admitted to having an affair with a much younger man who worked behind the scenes on This Morning.

The presenter had served as the face of the weekday program for more than 20 years and came out as gay on the ITV sofa in moving scenes in 2020.

He announced his exit from the program last week amid reports of ‘tensions’ with Willoughby.

‘I have always been proud to cover fascinating stories on This Morning,’ he said at the time. ‘But recently, This Morning itself has become the story.

‘Throughout my career in TV – including the very difficult last few days – I have always done my best to be honourable and kind.

‘I understand that ITV has decided the current situation can’t go on, and I want to do what I can to protect the show that I love. So I have agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect, in the hope that the show can move forward to a bright future.

‘I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me – especially This Morning’s amazing viewers – and I’ll see you all for the Soap Awards next month.’

Phillip shared the news of the affair in a lengthy statement (Picture: ITV)

In a bombshell move earlier today, Schofield provided a lengthy statement to earlier today, in which he admitted to an affair with a younger colleague while he was still married to Stephanie Lowe, his wife of 30 years.

He said that he met the unnamed man when he was a teenager – and that things developed into ‘more than a friendship’ after they began working together.

The Cube host insisted that, while he lied about this to his bosses and other colleagues, their relationship was ‘unwise but not illegal’.

‘I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning,’ he said. ‘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. 

There were reports of tension between Holly and Phil behind the scenes (Picture: ITV)

‘In an effort to protect my ex-colleague I haven’t been truthful about the relationship. But my recent, unrelated, departure from This Morning fueled speculation and raised questions which have been impacting him, so for his sake it is important for me to be honest now.

‘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.’

‘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,’ he added, vowing to keep his colleague’s identity under wraps.

‘I will reflect on my very bad judgement in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it.’