Disgraced Phillip Schofield paid his much younger lover a six-figure sum in a deal that prevents him from ever discussing their relationship, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The star's former colleague, 34 years his junior, signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in return for the payment, preventing him from speaking about the scandal that brought an ignominious end to the presenter's decades-long TV career last year .
Schofield, 61, has been in the wilderness since admitting to the affair to the Mail last May and lying to his ITV employers in an extraordinary mea culpa.
A lawyer for the former This Morning presenter has now confirmed that a deal was signed with his former lover last year, which included a “mutual non-disclosure agreement” and a payment to compensate the man for losses suffered.
The man was just 15 when he met Schofield, who helped him land a coveted job as a runner on This Morning at the age of 19.
Disgraced Phillip Schofield paid his much younger lover a six-figure sum in a deal that prevents him from ever discussing their relationship, The Mail on Sunday can reveal
Schofield with the man he had an affair with and former This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby
Schofield, 61, has been in the wilderness since admitting to the affair to the Mail last May and lying to his ITV employers in an extraordinary mea culpa
A romantic relationship between the pair began when the man was 20, after which he moved to another ITV daytime show, Loose Women. He later left the station with a separate payout.
Although the clause prevented either side from discussing the affair, Schofield revealed intimate details of their relationship when he was interviewed by the BBC's Amol Rajan last June.
A source familiar with the NDA told The Mail on Sunday: “The young man has been frail for some time.” This is no secret.
“Following Phillip’s decision to discuss his relationship, payment was made for various matters and as part of this an NDA was arranged and signed.”
“It means Phil knows his young ex can never talk about their relationships, so he'll probably sleep a lot better at night.”
“He's lost a lot, but imagine if all the details came out – it would be quite a catastrophe for him.”
“As for the young man, we hope he can now move on with his life and rebuild it – but it’s not easy.”
“And it’s a bit rich to put forward an NDA after Phil spoke out at the BBC last year.”
The man – from ITV only as a person during its investigation
In the BBC interview, Schofield insisted he had not approached the young man after meeting him at a stage school.
Schofield admitted relationship with younger male colleague (pictured together)
Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby hug as he appears on gay TV show This Morning in 2020, pre-pandemic
Phil and Holly, pictured on This Morning two decades ago, in 2004
Admitting he was “completely heartbroken and ashamed,” he added: “We were friends and then one day something happened in my dressing room that of course I will regret forever, for him and for me – especially for him – “But this happened.” maybe four or five times in the next few months.
“I know it's unforgivable. But we weren't friends. We weren't in a relationship. I was really in chaos with my own sexuality at the time, and it just happened.'
Schofield also said the man got his role on This Morning “on his own merit”… because he did his job very well. He added: “Everyone loved him. “He worked very hard.”
The former Dancing On Ice presenter took part in the interview after confessing to the affair he was conducting behind his wife Stephanie Lowe's back.
In his bombshell statement to the Chron, Schofield described the relationship as “unwise but not illegal” as he confessed to lying to his colleagues, friends and agents at management company YMU.
In the statement, he said: “I am making this statement about the Chron, to whom I have already personally apologized for misleading me, about my lawyer, who I also misled, about a story they put forward wanted to write about myself for a few days.” .
“The first thing I want to say is: I am deeply sorry for lying to her and many others about my relationship with someone who worked on This Morning.”
“I had a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague on This Morning.”
“Contrary to speculation, I did meet the man as a teenager and was asked to help him get into television, but it was only after he started working on the show that it became more than just a friendship.”
“This relationship was unwise, but not illegal. “It's over now.”
The young man, now 27, declined to comment on the deal or the details included in it.