Phillip Schofield reveals the touching message his mum gave him from his late dad after he came out as gay
This Morning host Phillip Schofield. (HGL/GC Images)
Phillip Schofield has said he hopes his late father would have been “proud” of him for coming out.
The long-serving This Morning presenter came out publicly back in February after 27 years married to a woman.
While he received support from his mother, the TV host’s dad died from a heart condition in 2008.
In an interview with Chris Evans’ How to Wow podcast, Schofield said: “When I went down to Cornwall when I told my mum, I said: ‘What do you think dad would have said? Would he still be proud?’
“Thankfully she said, ‘Yes… he’ll think you’re brave and he will always be proud of you.’ So that is good.”
He added: “What he would say now? Well, it’s a modern phrase… but my dad was one of the kindest, sweetest, most lovely people ever. So I think he would adopt the hashtag and say, just make sure you’re kind.”
He continued: “My mum suddenly turned into this incredibly modern, forward-thinking 84-year-old and we have these incredible really good solid chats about my head, how I am and us as a family. That’s actually worked out really well.”
Phillip Schofield also strongly denied tabloid rumours of a feud between him and co-presenter Holly Willoughby, dating back to before his coming out.
He said: “There has never been a feud with Holly. When they’re writing ‘Phillip and Holly in feud’, we couldn’t have been closer, because I’d told her my secret and she was holding me together at work, so that was so untrue.
“The fact that there was a ‘toxic atmosphere’ on This Morning, there’s never been anything like that. Everyone is equal, it’s a tight-knit team. Absolutely and completely untrue.
“I’m the guy that people like to work with, because we have fun and it’s a great environment. If I was an a***hole, I don’t think I could have got what I got.”
Phillip Schofield is a ‘work in progress’ after coming out.
Phillip Schofield has spoken candidly about his coming out process and his current mental health struggles in autobiography Life’s What You Make It, explaining that he sees a psychologist and takes medication.
In the book, he writes: “My mental health is still a work in progress. I talk regularly to a professional team who tell me that everything will be OK.
“Sometimes I have my doubts. If I’m totally honest with you, as I’ve said before, it’s not in my nature to hurt people and so, with that in mind, I’m finding it hard to pick my way through the debris.
“Is there a way to reveal a secret like this to the world and not hurt your wife or your family? The answer is obviously not. But we are close and loving. We’ll get through.”
Discussing his adjustment to being out, Schofield wrote: “Am I struggling with it all? Very much. I’m wearing new clothes, but they don’t quite fit. Maybe I’ll grow into them.
“I still have dark days full of confusion, days when wading through life would be easier if the water wasn’t at chest height.”
