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ITV bosses are furious over Phillip Schofield’s claim that he would have been treated differently if he had had an affair with a woman instead of a man.
The disgraced presenter, who left the channel after lying about his relationship with a much younger This Morning colleague, said on his new reality series that he would have received a pat on the back for it not being a gay relationship.
However, ITV insiders say it is ‘completely untrue’ to suggest he would have been treated differently because it was a gay romance.
In his much-criticised television comeback on the Channel 5 program Cast Away, Schofield calls himself the ’embarrassed, disgraced Philip Schofield, who had an affair’.
The 62-year-old said: ‘Strangely I think another TV presenter or two might have done exactly the same thing. The difference is heterosexual. It is not unusual in the gay world for there to be a difference in age groups.’
ITV bosses are furious over Phillip Schofield’s claim he would have been treated differently if he had had an affair with a woman instead of a man.
Phillip cheated on wife of more than 20 years Stephanie Lowe with a much younger man
‘That’s not that unusual in the straight world, but if that had been the case with me and it had been a woman. Pat on the back. Good job, buddy.’
Schofield said he is “regretful” and acknowledges that he “did something wrong” and “hurt the people around him.”
“I don’t know what price you have to pay and whether the price you pay is necessarily proportionate,” he adds.
A source at the network shot back: “It’s a stupid thing for Phil to say, and it’s just not true. Phil lied about it to his colleagues, his bosses and his friends, it wouldn’t have mattered if it was a woman or a man.”
They add that Schofield is unlikely to work with the channel again, despite his hints that he had been approached to appear on their reality show I’m A Celeb. One source said: ‘He lied to us, it would be really difficult.’
ITV’s anger comes as Schofield also hinted he has been sacked from the network, when in fact the initial chiefs of his departure had issued a statement to the Mail admitting the affair and saying he had left with immediate effect.
Sources at the broadcaster also say he opted to step away from presenting This Morning for a fortnight before falling out with his former co-star Holly Willoughby.
In the programme, which airs from Monday, Schofield takes aim at a trio of former ITV colleagues and says: ‘I think there’s only three shits.’
The disgraced presenter who left the channel after lying about his relationship with a much younger This Morning colleague said on his new reality series that he would have received a pat on the back for it not being a homosexual relationship
However, ITV insiders say it is ‘completely untrue’ to suggest he would have been treated differently because it was a gay romance
‘That’s not that unusual in the straight world, but if that had been the case with me and it had been a woman. Pat on the back. Good job, buddy’
He pointed out that one was a “coward who never stood in line,” while another “is a coward because she never stepped up when I was being abused by that one journalist who thought I had fired them.”
The third, says Schofield, “is just brand-oriented. Not what you expect, not what you think you’re going to get.’
He also stressed that he has now retired from television and does not want to return, despite filming the three-part show for Channel 5, in which he has to survive alone in Madagascar.
