The moment Phillip Schofield sipped whiskey with his younger lover on “This Morning” has resurfaced.
During the Christmas segment in 2016, Schofield and co-host Holly Willoughby tried out alternative advent calendars, while Schofield’s lover – who worked as a runner at ITV – was in the background dressed as an elf.
After Natalie Anderson showed them a £1,000 whiskey advent calendar, the hosts were quick to try a bottle themselves.
While Schofield was smitten by the “smooth” nature of the drink, he turned to his formally clad lover and asked, “Would you like some?” He let him sip, adding, “Let’s smash the elf!”
The clip has resurfaced as ITV bosses are faced with more questions about what they knew about Schofield’s affair with his colleague.
Drinking: The moment Phillip Schofield sipped whiskey with his younger lover during a Christmassy segment on ‘This Morning’ in 2016 has resurfaced
It was alleged that the younger lover received financial compensation from the broadcaster.
The Chron was told that after the on-off relationship ended, he received a payment that Schofield described as “unwise but not illegal.”
ITV has repeatedly declined to comment or deny the alleged payout.
There were no comments from a representative of the presenter, who left the channel on Friday after revealing to the Chron that he had lied to our sister newspaper The Mail on Sunday about the affair.
However, a source claims the money was handed over to the man who, after declaring his love for Schofield at an awards show in January 2020, was dumped on another of the network’s daytime shows, Loose Women.
He doesn’t work there anymore.
ITV insiders said bosses must have known about the payment at some level.
One added: “There have been numerous payouts at ITV which have always had to be arranged and approved by people with some seniority.”
The claims come at a time when pressure is mounting on the network’s chief executive, Dame Carolyn McCall, TV director Kevin Lygo and daytime director Emma Gormley, to speak openly about what they knew.
A source for the broadcaster said: “The situation is unraveling quickly and there is no indication it will end any time soon.”
Tasting: Schofield and co-host Holly Willoughby tried out alternative advent calendars, while Schofield’s lover – who worked as a runner – was in the background dressed as an elf
Trial: After Natalie Anderson showed them a £1,000 whiskey advent calendar, the hosts were quick to try a bottle themselves
Phil and Holly appear hungover on This Morning on January 21, 2016
Timeline of the Phillip Schofield Scandal
September 2022 – Schofield and Willoughby face criticism for not queuing for the Queen’s state appearance.
April 2023 – Phillip is absent from This Morning for two weeks while his brother Timothy, 54, faces charges of sexually abusing a teenager at Exeter Crown Court.
April 3 – Timothy is found guilty of ’emotionally blackmailing’ the teenager into having sex and watching porn with him.
May 10 – Phillip and Holly are reportedly “hardly speaking” but a day later he releases a statement calling Holly “my rock”.
May 15 – The pair appear united at the presentation of ‘This Morning,’ but rumors of a feud linger. The couple reportedly fell out because Phillip failed to warn Holly about his brother’s trial.
May 20 – Schofield announces he is stepping down from This Morning, effective “immediately.”
May 22 – Substitute hosts Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond hailed their former colleague as “one of the best live television networks this country has ever had”.
May 26 – Schofield releases a statement admitting to having an affair with a “much younger” colleague but then lying about it.
May 27 – Holly slams Phillip for lying to her.
May 28 – Former This Morning resident Dr. Ranj Singh, slams the show’s “toxic” culture.
May 29 – Schofield releases a statement denying claims the series has a toxic culture, prompting Eamonn Holmes to tweet about him as “delusional”.
Holmes later turned to GB News and accused ITV of a “complete cover-up” of the Schofield affair.
“There are a lot of people out there who feel disadvantaged by ITV and they now have the confidence to speak their mind.”
“The house of cards seems to be collapsing, it’s unclear where this will end now.”
It comes after former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes accused ITV bosses of orchestrating a “complete cover-up” of Schofield’s affair with his younger lover, saying those in charge “needed to know” about the secret relationship .
The couple met when Schofield was in his fifties and lectured at a drama school. At that time, his future lover was 15 years old and really wanted to start a career in the television industry.
He moved to London aged 18 and started working on This Morning before embarking on a secret relationship with the presenter.
In an interview with GB News on Monday night, Holmes called Schofield, 61, a “chief narcissist” who “went into town” on Thursdays to “play” with the young man.
He claimed Schofield’s lovers were driven back and forth between the presenter’s central London home and the studios in taxis paid for by the network.
Holmes said: “I didn’t know, but I later found out from a very, very good source that he was dropped off at Phillip’s house in London because he was due to arrive much earlier than I did for the program in the morning.”
“Usually on a Friday morning because Thursday was game time when he and Phillip went into town and then he obviously stayed the night. Records show he was brought in separately in cars paid for by ITV the next day.
When asked if management should have known, Holmes replied, “Unless Phillip paid the bills separately, but it still should have cleared through accounting that they saw and knew that.”
Holmes, 63, also claims he reached out to management who worked for Ms McCall to tell them about Schofield’s relationship with the young production assistant.
He said: “I had gone to ITV’s senior executives, people who worked for Carolyn McCall, the chief executive, in November 2019 with the story that Phillip had this inappropriate relationship with the young man and had urged them to to investigate the reason for this.” At the very least, wouldn’t you investigate?
“I didn’t say Phillip was guilty of anything. I said you should start an investigation.’
Sources close to Schofield responded to Holmes by saying, “If Eamonn Holmes is going to be that cruel to someone in Phillip’s position, I think that says more about Eamonn than Phillip.”
ITV is still refusing to give the Chron any further details on an investigation it claims took place. Sources close to the younger man say there was no such procedure.
On Saturday, ITV released a statement which said: “Both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours, as did Phillip’s then-agency YMU.”
ITV will not say whether the inquiry was independent and external, or who conducted it and when.
The scandal threatens to bring down This Morning, the daytime show that started in 1988 and was hosted by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan.
Scandal: Former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes has accused ITV of orchestrating a ‘complete cover-up’ of the Schofield affair
A source on the show said yesterday: “Talks are already taking place between staff about how concerned they are that things need to change and what their jobs are preventing.”
“It is a deeply worrying time, but no one has any illusions that the show can remain as it was. It needs to be rebranded because so much trust has been lost.”
In the second part of the interview, which aired last night, Holmes agreed with Web columnist Dan Wootton that anyone who questions Ms McCall’s “bright narrative” is out.
Sources close to Schofield said, “If Eamonn Holmes is going to be that cruel to someone in Phillip’s position, I think that says more about Eamonn than Phillip.”
ITV is still refusing to give the Chron any further details on an investigation it claims took place. Sources close to the younger man say he was not asked about the affair as part of an investigation.
ITV bosses are expected to be questioned by MPs about the channel’s handling of the Schofield affair when they appear before the House of Commons Culture Committee next Tuesday.
Despite the ongoing scandal, Holly Willoughby will return to This Morning on Monday after an extended half-year break.
A source told Web that Willoughby will appear on the show on Monday as scheduled. According to one report, she will be accompanied by Alison Hammond.