Holly Willoughby has spoken out for the first time since her former co-host Phillip Schofield admitted to having an affair with a This Morning colleague.
On Friday night, the 61 year confessed in a statement to having an affair with a younger male colleague during his marriage to wife, Stephanie Lowe, whom he shares two children with, Molly, 30 and Ruby, 27.
Phillip, who insists the affair was "not illegal," spoke directly to the Daily Mail, and admitted that he had not only lied to his employer – ITV, but also to his colleagues, friends, and his agents at his management firm, YMU, who subsequently also dropped him.
On Saturday, Holly took to social media and said: "It's taken time to process yesterday's news.
"When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not. It's been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie. Holly."
During the presenter's open apology, Phillip said: "I am making this statement via the Daily Mail, to whom I have already apologised personally for misleading, through my lawyer who I also misled, about a story [sic] which they wanted to write about me a few days ago."
"The first thing I want to say is: I am deeply sorry for having lied to them, and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on This Morning. I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning."
Phillip then went on to say that "contrary to speculation," he met the man "when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television," before revealing that it was only when he was working on This Morning that it "became more than a just a friendship."
The 61 year old then stressed that the "unwise but not illegal" relationship was "over."
Following the admission of an affair, ITV announced that they were "deeply disappointed" by the "admissions of deceit."
However, in a new statement, addressing the relationship, the network have now said they first conducted an investigation into Phillip's rumoured relationship with an employee back in 2020.
"Further to our statement last night, ITV can confirm that when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate in early 2020, ITV investigated," ITV has confirmed to OK!
"Both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip's then agency, YMU."
"In addition, ITV spoke to a number of people who worked on This Morning and were not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour."
"Phillip’s statement yesterday reveals that he lied to people at ITV, from senior management to fellow presenters, to YMU, to the media and to others over this relationship."
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