Introduction
Important highlights
- Phillip Schofield has known Matthew McGreevy since at least 2014 when Phillip Schofield was 52 and Matthew McGreevy was 18 and trying to get a big break in television. Photographic evidence suggests that their paths had crossed already several years earlier via a talent agency and the theatre school MM had attended as a child which PS was a patron of
- Phil follows MM on Twitter prior to the first known photos of them together
- Matthew McGreevy’s career seemed to revolve around Phillip Schofield shows and he became his personal PA behind the scenes. This included perks runners don’t usually get such as getting up on stage when TM won an NTA
- He also accompanied Phil and Holly to This Morning Live in 2018
- It was an open secret among ITV staff that Phil was gay and he had a close relationship with MM
- SOMETHING happens
- Ruth Langsford puts in an official complaint against Phillip Schofield
- Amanda Holden drops big hints
- Matthew McGreevy goes to work for Loose Women in April 2019
- Piers Morgan drops big hints
- MM is removed from the TM party at the NTA awards in January 2020. Apparently he confessed his love for Phil in front of other ITV employees. He is photographed at the end of the evening confronting HW outside a hotel. She looks horrified. Photos published later but of the same encounter show MM kissing HW on the cheek as she is leaving
- Phillip Schofield does big TADA moment with a simpering sycophantic Holly just 10 days after MM’s removal from the NTA party
- Phillip Schofield does interview with The Sun
- It is widely assumed the coming out on TM and interview in The Sun were in exchange for The Sun dropping their exclusive which revealed the inappropriate nature of PS relationship with MM
Queue-gate
Holly and Phil are widely criticised for using press passes to bypass the queue to see the Queen lying in state in Westminster Hall in 2022. They claim it was for filming a segment of TM and the passes were used appropriately. Neither apologise and footage from inside is not used in the piece shown on TM.
They were compared unfavourably to Susannah Reid and David Beckham who both queued for hours with the public to pay their respects.
This is widely thought to be the beginning of a feud between HW and PS as she did not like how it was handled and the criticism she received.
Feud with Holly
- 2019 First rumours when Holly stood in on I’m a Celeb that Phil was unhappy she was chosen over him. This leads to more shows for Holly away from Phil including two BBC shows
- 2020 Holly leaves YMU Group which was her and Phil’s management agency. Now seen as her trying to distance herself from him
- 2022 See queue-gate above. Holly upset with criticism and the handling. She was the one who did the introduction to their film and had to defend them both although neither said sorry
- 2023 International Women’s Day. Holly proposes an all female line-up for the show which is agreed with Editor Martin Fizzell (long thought to be a Phil supporter but apparently now tired of covering for his mistakes). Phil is furious and goes straight to the head of daytime to protest. He then joins Holly for the rest of the show as a compromise
- 2023 Holly is kept in the dark about Timothy Schofield’s trial and the nature of the allegations against him until Phil is given the week of the trial off. See below for full information on this
- Phil releases a statement about the feud saying although it has been difficult for them both she has been a rock & best friend for him. Holly said to be “blindsided” and upset she was not told the statement was being released and that it spoke on her behalf
- 20th May 2023 Phil releases a statement saying he is leaving TM to protect the show he loves. His statement thanks the viewers but doesn’t mention Holly
Holly releases her own short statement saying the sofa won’t be the same without Phil
Phil’s brother - Timothy Schofield
In 2023 Phil’s brother was jailed for 12 years after being convicted of 11 counts of underage sexual activity.
Apparently, he called Phil saying he felt suicidal in September 2021. Phil invited him down to London where Timothy confessed he had done something that would make Phil hate him. This was apparently that he and the victim had special time together (masturbating to porn). Phil replied he didn’t want to hear anymore about it and told Timothy it must never happen again. He also apparently asked no more questions about it and they never discussed it again.
In November of the same year Timothy’s victim confessed what had happened to their counsellor who went to the police.
In December 2021 the police interviewed Phil who gave a single statement outlining the conversation he and Timothy had in that August.
He was not called as a witness at the trial and after his brother was found guilty he released a statement saying no criminal activity had been disclosed to him and as far as he was concerned he no longer had a brother.
He also claimed during the trial he and Timothy were not close due to the age gap (7 years), however there are plenty of social media photos of the two brothers together at various family gatherings and behind the scenes at DOI as well.
Opens up about being gay
7 Feb 2020
YouTube.
2023 Eamonn describes the antics before PS when on air to announce he was gay
https://www.facebook.com/reel/935959714316904?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V
A Newspaper report
The television presenter Phillip Schofield has said he suspected he was gay when he got married 27 years ago, but suppressed his feeling because he was happy.
Instagram.
Phillip admits affair
26th May 2023
Phil's statement - '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.
'Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than a just a friendship. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over...
'I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife...
'I am resigning from ITV with immediate effect, expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me.
'I will reflect on my very bad judgement in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it.'
YMU's statement -
An ITV spokesperson said: "We are deeply disappointed by the admissions of deceit made tonight by Phillip Schofield.
"The relationships we have with those we work with are based on trust.
"Phillip made assurances to us which he now acknowledges were untrue and we feel badly let down.
“We accept his resignation from ITV and therefore can confirm that he will not be appearing on ITV as had previously been stated.”
Eamonn Holmes hints that MM was not the only young person taken advantage of by Phil -
Aftermath
27th May 2023
A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: “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.“ 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.”
Holly's statement -
Dan Wootton article in DM: I told ITV about Phillip Schofield's affair in 2019 -
- 'At that time, there was an open revolt amongst ITV Daytime talent and producers that Schofield's young male colleague and lover, who was more than 30 years his junior, had been moved from This Morning after their relationship soured to work on Loose Women.'
- Loose Women 'were livid and worried that they were having to deal with the very real fallout of Phillip's mixed up professional and personal life. At least one of the stars had made a formal complaint to management.'
- 'The Loose Women ructions coincided with the first sign of tension between Phillip and Holly Willoughby, who had fallen out at the time but went on to patch up their working relationship.'
- MM 'had become a non-negotiable part of Phillip's life, with ITV cars ferrying him from the TV studios to the presenter's apartment.'
- A number of ITV stars were concerned 'that their channel seemed to be engaging in a cover-up'.
- 'At the National Television Awards on January 28, 2020, there was an altercation between the man and both Phillip and Holly separately, witnessed by senior ITV staff in attendance, including the high powered director of television Kevin Lygo.'
28th May 2023
- Mail on Sunday cover story: Schofield's lover was just 15 when they met -
- 'they met at a talk the veteran TV presenter was giving at a theatre school. At the time, the schoolboy asked him for a job, and Schofield later arranged an interview for him. It led to a position as an ITV production assistant when he turned 18.'
- 'Schofield's lover stunned ITV colleagues at a 2020 awards ceremony by 'declaring his love for Phil''
- 'Schofield had hired top law firm Mishcon de Reya to represent the young man, now in his mid 20s, presumably believing that he would keep quiet. But his former lover told lawyers that although he feared exposure, he was fed up lying about the relationship.'
- in an attempt to manage press interest and his reputation, 'Schofield complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation, the watchdog for the newspaper and magazine industry in the UK', about a Mail on Sunday article that said MM had 'mysteriously moved on from This Morning.'
- Schofield learned that his former partner was not prepared to lie about their affair. He instead told his lawyer that they had had a relationship, and that was to be his honest stance...Schofield had no way out.
He was then forced into a U-turn, telling his management company YMU, which had represented him for 35 years, that he had lied and that he had indeed cheated on his wife with the young man.
YMU – widely seen as the most powerful showbusiness agency in the UK – swiftly dropped him and told ITV bosses of his confession.'
DM article: Schofield's lover denies bosses quizzed him about affair.
DM article
Dr Ranj posts statement about TM having a toxic culture of bullying and discrimination -
29th May - Phil's statement
4th June 2023
The Sun publishes photos showing the moment Phil told his mum he had been sacked from This Morning. They had been taken on the 19th May but only ‘came to light’ a few weeks later. Lucky there was a photographer there to capture the moment. In the accompanying article Phil admits his manager had just called him to say This Morning wanted him to leave, so not as much his decision as he initially suggested.
7th December 2023
Independent KC publishes their review into the affair. Schofield "reluctantly declined" to take part in the review because of "the risks to his health". MM also refuses to participate.
It found;
- ITV did all they could to uncover an affair but neither men was prepared to admit anything when asked.
- One junior employee was aware of the relationship at the time but did not report it. No one else knew apparently.
- MM was helped getting in the door at ITV by PS but advanced his career from there on his own merit and PS did not have any part in him moving to Loose Women when their relationship ended.
- The only payment between ITV and MM was a standard end of employment settlement on 31st July 2021
- The report said: “I have no doubt that senior management are absolutely wedded to the importance of an open culture. But this culture is still not filtering down to junior employees, many of whom remain convinced that to speak out will have a detrimental impact on their careers.”
Full article with findings here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/itv-phillip-schofield-investigation-affair-b2460164.html
18th June 2024
After a trickle of articles showing Phil out with friends, popping to Waitrose and with Steph and the girls, the Mail on Sunday publish an exclusive confirming that Phil’s young lover has signed an NDA to never talk about the relationship in exchange for a six figure sum at some point in 2023. This is presumed to be after Phil did his interviews with The Sun and Amol Rajan at the BBC.
Full article here: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13097139/phillip-schofield-scandal-affair-details-morning-paid-sum-nda.html
6th March 2024
It is revealed PS’s daughter Molly has left her employment at YMU to act as a publicist for PS and “in recent weeks she has been engaging with media about stories relating to Phillip.”
Article here: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13162819/Phillip-Schofield-daughter-Molly-publicist-Morning-affair.html
Interviews
YouTube - Sun interview.
BBC - iPlayer. Sign-in is required.
People and their abbreviations
PS - Phillip Schofield
MM - Matthew McGreevy, the ITV runner Phillip had allegedly been having an affair with and who had forced the subsequent 'coming out'
Simon Schofield - friend of Phil’s who is unrelated despite the same surname. Phil appears to have met SS when he was just 16 (Phil described him as a friend of 20 years when SS was 36 and people in IG mistook them for being partners). He was then involved in the theatre company MM attended and could have been the one who introduced Phil and MM.
In 2024 SS sued the Politicalite website for libel for saying he “groomed” MM for Phillip. He was awarded £90,000 in damages and also had his legal fees of £35,000 paid by the website. He had told the court his and PS relationship was damaged by the allegation as they felt they couldn’t be seen in public together.
PH - Perez Hilton, US drama channel host who was interviewed on Good Morning Britain
JC - Joan Collins, actress interviewed on Good Morning Britain by Piers Morgan who questioned why Phillip chose to reveal he was gay now as most people in showbiz knew.
AH - Amanda Holden, former This Morning presenter who worked with Phillip and they now don't speak. This is apparently because Phil blocked her becoming cover while HW was presenting I’m a Celeb while Ant was in rehab in 2018. Extract from article at the time below:
A source told The Sun, 'Phillip actively campaigned for Rochelle Humes to get the job despite Amanda being more experienced — and having been told privately she’d got the gig.
'She feels Phil unfairly used his powers of persuasion. She was told he’d chosen Rochelle because she was easier to ‘manage’ on air - and understandably that incensed her.'
Posted the below shortly after Phil’s resignation statement
TM - This Morning, daytime television show presented by Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby until May 2023 when PS was fired
LW - Loose Women, daytime television show also aired on ITV
DOI - Dancing on Ice, low-rating ITV television show presented by Phillip and Holly
DS - Digital Spy, Online media gossip forum. Threads talking about Phillip Schofield have been shut down on Digital Spy
RL- Ruth Langsford, presenter on This Morning who reportedly made a complaint against Phillip Schofield. Presented the show with husband Eamonn Holmes before they were ‘let go’
PP - Peter Powell, former radio and television presenter, presented TOTP and later founded a talented management agency and signed up Phillip Schofield.
JS - Jimmy Saville, pal of Phillip’s
CR - Cliff Richard also referred to as 'Kitty'
JK - Jonathon King, convicted paedophile and vocal defender of PS on Twitter
JD - Jason Donovan, rumoured to have had a fling with Phil in the 90s
DW - Dan Wootton who was a reporter at The Sun, who possibly had an exclusive with MM about his and Phil’s relationship which was shelved when Phil came out. Also worked on Lorraine as a showbiz reporter and has said Phil tried to get rid of him. Now works for GB News and writes a column for the Daily Mail. He has kept pressure up on this story with regular columns and discussions on his tv show about Phil
Dan Baldwin - Holly’s husband and TV producer, his shows include The Wheel, Breaking Dad with Bradley & Barney Walsh but also notably Holly’s shows away from Phil such as Freeze the Fear, Take off with Bradley & Holly and Play to the Whistle
Fern Britton - was the host of TM alongside John Leslie who was sacked. Phil was brought in as his replacement. Hosted other ITV shows together including Mr & Mrs, the Soap awards. Phil says in his autobiography she accused him of “meddling” in the production/content of the show and she left because of this and finding out she earns a lot less money. Has hinted towards celebrating his decline with Eamonn Holmes
Rylan - has done cover presenting on TM. Calls Ruth and Eamonn his TV mum and dad. Has done a couple of cryptic interviews recently about making sure you are nice to people on the way up and treating people kindly behind the scenes and hinting someone he knows has not been. This is rumoured to be aimed at Phil. Others such as Nadine Dorries & Kim Woodburn have come out and said his behaviour behind the scenes is dismissive and rude of both co-presenters and other staff/guests
Ben Perryman - a 'friend' of Phil's who was involved in a revenge porn case which Phil provided a character reference for
Crucial event timeline
Limegoss Phillip Schofield timeline events
Limegoss Phillip Schofield runner
Threads
Back to his threads.
