‘Steph has been incredible – I love her so much’
my family, but the [girls] are so amazing in their love and support. I sat them down and I told them, and they jumped up and gave me a big hug and then they hugged Steph and they said, ‘It’s OK’. We’ll always be a family.”
He also admitted to feeling guilt over the situation, adding, “I am very conscious of the hurt, and so my overriding emotion with my family is obviously going to be guilt, because I do feel guilty that this can’t be anything other than a painful process for them.
The couple met when Phil was working for BBC children’s television and Steph was a production assistant. He previously joked, “You’d have thought someone wouldn’t be attracted to a man with a puppet and dodgy jumpers! But that is how we met.” Last week, he lavished praise on her, saying, “Steph has been incredible – I love her so very much. She is the kindest soul I have ever met.””
Phil’s coming out followed reports from the end of last year of a huge falling-out behind the scenes at ITV, including issues with regular stand-in Amanda Holden and Friday host Ruth Langsford – whose husband Eamonn Holmes came under fire after he joked to Phil live on air, “I always wondered, ‘How come Phil can sit in a hot-tub with Holly, and Steph doesn’t have a problem?’”
There were also said to be tensions
between Phil and Holly, who also co-hosts Dancing On Ice with him. The rift reportedly stemmed from a magazine cover shoot they did in which Holly was featured with a crown drawn over her head alongside the headline, “Queen Holly: How Holly Willoughby Eclipsed Philip Schofield And Became Britain’s Hottest TV Star.”
UNSHAKEABLE BOND
But, speaking exclusively to Closer last week, Holly said, “It’s funny, because we knew that this would probably come up, and actually it’s been quite an easy one for us, because there’s nothing to defend. We ring each other and talk to each other all the time anyway. We know what we’re like. It would be impossible for us to fake the giggles. I’m on the telly for two and a half hours – let me tell you, I’m not that good of an actress.”
Phil had also hit back at the claims, saying, “It’s a shame… Holly is the sister I never had, we think at the same speed.
The atmosphere in our studio is so wonderful.”
The unshakeable bond between the pair – and the reason why insiders say Phil had turned to Holly as he struggled with his secret – is said to have its roots in their early days together when Phil took her under his wing.
Celebrating 10 years as a double act on This Morning last year,
Holly recently reminisced about her first day, saying, “[I was] so, so nervous and holding on to Phil for dear life. I’d watched This Morning as a fan for many years before doing it, I didn’t want to be the one to mess it up.”
Confirming their close relationship, she later added that she’d leave the show if Phil ever quit, saying, “We’ve always said from the beginning that if either of us left then we wouldn’t want to do it, as I can’t imagine This Morning without Phil.”
Lawrie Roberts, Pride in Ageing Manager at LGBT Foundation, says it can be hard for those close to someone when they come out.
He says, “Coming out at any time is a challenging, momentous decision, and it’s great that Phillip was able to do this. However, not everyone’s coming out experience will be the same as his. While for many people, coming out in later life is a hugely positive thing to be able to share with others who you are and connect to others in the LGBT community, on some occasions it can cause complications with family. We would advise anyone who’s affected or whose family is affected to get in touch with a local support organisation if needed.
“There’s been so much progress over the last few decades and it is amazing that more people are able to share who they are, regardless of age, and celebrate their true selves. Pride in Ageing was launched last year to offer spaces to the growing number of LGBT people who are out in later life, and extend LGBT Foundation’s support to them.”
SLOW PROCESS
MY OVERRIDING EMOTION WITH MY FAMILY IS OBVIOUSLY
GOING TO BE GUILT
Meanwhile, Phil revealed he is yet to contemplate future relationships, telling Holly, “I’m not thinking there. I’m doing each day at a time now, this has always been a slow process and there is no fast process after this... there’s no one, I’m not rushing out to anybody.”