‘Fired for someone else’s crime’ – Phillip Schofield blames brother for ITV exit
He said he would ‘never in a million years’ return to daytime television, during the last episode of Phillip Schofield: Cast Away.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Former This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield has blamed his brother for his departure from ITV, saying he was “fired for someone else’s crime”.
In the final episode of Channel 5’s Phillip Schofield: Cast Away, the 62-year-old revealed he would “never in a million years” decide to return to daytime TV.
Schofield went on to say he had always been “open and honest with everyone at work about what was happening” with his brother Timothy.
His 54-year-old brother was convicted in April 2023 of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two of sexual activity with a child.
On the Channel 5 show he said he refused “to name and refuse to acknowledge” his brother who he claimed he had “absolutely no qualms whatsoever in shopping” to police, who he said had “praised” him for getting “justice done”.
The Oldham-born presenter said: “Even though they knew all of the facts the papers painted me out to be some sort of complicit agent.
“That was when my world started to collapse. My poor mum, had to tell her about that member of the family. To break that to your mother is tough.
“And I had to go through everything with the hierarchy at ITV. The full entire story so that they knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. The full story.
“Everything came to a head the day before he was sentenced when my agent called.
“My phone rang and I picked it up, ‘mate, are you somewhere quiet’ which is never a good sign,’I’ve got a bit of a shock, I’m afraid you’ve been let go from This Morning’. What? ‘Yeah that’s it, it’s done. You’re not going back on Monday’.
“What? because of what? ‘Think it’s the publicity, mate’, that’s got nothing to do with me, that has nothing to do with me.
“Why would I be sacked for something someone else did? I’ve just been fired because of him. Because I was becoming more of a story than the programme.
I was always open and honest with everyone at work about what was happening with my brother. I was fired for the bad publicity, for someone else's crime
“It was better for the show, better for the channel. And I agreed to say that I’d resigned because it would be neater for everybody.
“I was always open and honest with everyone at work about what was happening with my brother. I was fired for the bad publicity, for someone else’s crime.
“And the thing is about a week later, I blew my own wheels off with everything else (his affair), because I thought the only way to even begin to put this right for everybody is to do a full mea culpa.”
Schofield admitted to a secret affair with a younger male colleague at ITV, but strongly denies accusations of grooming.
Despite the claims on the Channel 5 show that he was dropped from This Morning, when leaving the programme more than a year ago, Schofield claimed he had resigned.
At the time Schofield denied he had been “forced out”, and said he was “so very, very sorry” for lying to ITV, his colleagues, wife and friends.
An external review, carried out by Jane Mulcahy KC on behalf of ITV found the channel made “considerable efforts” to find out the truth about an alleged affair between Schofield and a runner in 2019, but was not able to find evidence about the rumours.
Schofield “reluctantly declined” to take part in the probe because of “the risk to his health”, the report in December 2023 said.
Ms Mulcahy said that for the period she reviewed, she could not find evidence of a “toxic” culture, and urged ITV to help junior employees who think speaking out will have a “detrimental impact on their careers”.
At the end of the Channel 5 programme, Schofield said he was undecided on whether he would return to presenting.
Beginning to tear up, he said: “Now I’m not saying I’m done but you know, never in a million years will I go back to daytime telly. I’ve lived a hundred TV lives.”
At the end of the programme, Schofield could be seen reuniting with his daughter Molly, 31, and their dog, with Molly saying she was “proud to say he’s my dad”.
Phillip Schofield: Cast Away airs for three nights from Monday September 30, at 9pm on Channel 5, and is available to stream on My5.
ITV has been contacted for comment.