'Proud' Holly Willoughby responds as friend Phillip Schofield comes out as gay
Phillip released a statement today
Last updated 7th Feb 2020
They are the best of friends and work colleagues, so it's no surprise Holly Willoughby has thrown her support behind Phillip Schofield, after the Dancing On Ice host released a statement to announce he is gay.
Phillip, who has been married to his wife Steph for 27 years, appeared on today's episode of This Morning to reveal his news in a candid interview conducted by Holly, moments after releasing a lengthy statement to fans online.
Holly, along with a number of other celebrities and fans, has shown her support to co-host Phillip, sharing an adorable photo of the pair to her Instagram page.
She wrote, 'Never been more proud of my friend than I am today.' sic
Both Holly and Phillip appeared as guests on today's episode of This Morning, which is hosted by married couple Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes on a Friday.
After reading out Phillip's statement to viewers, Holly told Phillip, “Reading that, I can hear your voice, I can hear the pain and how difficult that is for you… It’s out there now, how does this moment feel?”
An emotional Phillip then said, “Wow. It’s funny because, everyone I’ve spoken to… you, have all been so supportive, and so loving and caring and my entire family, to a person, have grabbed us and said, ‘It’s ok, it’s ok, we love you, we’re proud of you’ and every person I tell, it gets a little lighter and lighter.
“But at the same time, I have made my decision, which is essential for me and essential for my head and it’s principle the reason why I’ve done this. Of course I’m really very aware that Steph and the girls are at home watching this, and we’re all together and we’ve spent a lot of time together. and they’ve been supporting us to this moment as they all knew it was coming.”
“So yeah, I feel a little lighter but I’m also very, very aware, there’s no question it causes pain and upset.”
Watch Phillip's full interview below:
Holly, who often goes on family holidays with Phillip, his wife Steph, and his two daughters Ruby and Molly, asked how Steph is coping, to which Phillip said, “Yeah, it’s tough, but this is not something that’s happened quickly, I’ve had to deal with this in my head for quite some time.
“We’ve been honest and open. .. Steph… I can’t write in any statement what I feel about that woman. She’s amazing, she’s incredible. There is no one in my life who would have supported me the way… as a wife, as the way she’s supported me. She’s astonishing, literally astonishing.”
Phillip bravely announced his news this morning (Friday 7th February) in a lengthy statement posted online.
He wrote, 'You never know what’s going on in someone’s seemingly perfect life, what issues they are struggling with, or the state of their wellbeing - and so you won’t know what has been consuming me for the last few years. With the strength and support of my wife and my daughters, I have been coming to terms with the fact that I am gay.'
Read Phillip's full statement right here.
Check out Phillip Schofield's career timeline below:
1985: CBBC children's presenter
Phil's big break came as he presented the links between TV shows on CBBC, or children's BBC as it was called then. He did this from 1985 to 1987.
1987: Radio and Going Live!
Phil was also a radio presenter by this point, and presented Saturday morning children's TV show Going Live! from 1987 to 1993.
1992: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
In 1992, Phillip turned his hand to something completely different and appeared on stage as Joseph in the West End production, taking over the role from Jason Donovan. He performed this for five years.
2002: This Morning
Phil took to the This Morning sofa for the first time in 2002, taking over from John Leslie and presenting with Fern Britton. After she left in 2009, Holly Willoughby took up the reins, having worked with Phil on Dancing On Ice.
2006: Dancing On Ice
Speaking of which... Phil co-hosted Dancing On Ice from 2006 with Holly, before she left in 2011 and was replaced by Christine Bleakley until 2014 when the show went on hiatus. When it returned in 2018, Holly and Phil were back at the helm.
2006: The British Soap Awards
In 2006, Phil began hosting The British Soap Awards, and has been doing it annually ever since then!
2008: All Star Mr & Mrs
In 2008, Phil and his then-This Morning co-star Fern Britton began hosting All Star Mr & Mrs. When Fern left in 2010, Phil carried on until the series ended in 2016.
2009: The Cube
Phillip began presenting The Cube in 2009, a game show which saw contestants attempt to tackle the prizes inside the cube for prize money. It was GRIPPING. Sadly, it was taken off-air in 2015.
2017: Schofield's South African Adventure
Schofe got to travel around South Africa for a This Morning segment in 2017. Although there haven't been talks for another series, Phil did tell Lorraine Kelly that he'd "love" to do another one.
2017: 5 Gold Rings
He returned to the game show circuit in 2017, presenting 5 Gold Rings which he still continues to do now.
2018: Coronation Street
In 2018, Phil and Hol made Coronation Street fans very happy with a small cameo. As part of Rosie Webster's exit storyline, the pair interviewed Rosie, Craig Tinker and Gemma Winter.
2019: WeBuyAnyCar.com
On top of everything else he's doing, Phil also appears in adverts for WeBuyAnyCar.com - and his current campaign sees him playing with an ADORABLE puppy! Aww.
2020: Phil comes out as gay
In February 2020, Phil announced he's gay in a heartfelt post on social media.
He then sat down on This Morning for an interview with friend and co-host Holly Willoughby.
Phil told Holly, "It's funny because everyone I've spoken to, and you, have all been so supportive and so loving and caring, and my entire family to a person have grabbed us and said it's ok it's ok, we love you we're proud of you...
"Every person I tell it gets a little lighter and a little lighter, at the same time I have made this decision which is essential for me and essential for my head and that is principally the reason I have done this."
The Million Pound Drop
After a five year break, Phillip is back with popular game show The Cube in October 2020, and this time it's bigger and better! Contestants will play in teams of two and compete for a massive £1 million.
A number of Phillip's close celebrity friends have also shown their support, including Keith Lemon, Allison Hammond, Dr Ranj, Kate Thornton, Dermot O'Leary and many more.