TV presenter Phillip Schofield admitted he lied to colleagues and the media about his affair with a younger male ITV employee.

The former This Morning presenter said his affair with a man the BBC did not name was “unwise but not illegal”.

He resigned from ITV immediately and will no longer present the British Soap Awards next month.

Schofield said his departure from the show was unrelated to the incident.

The TV presenter was still married to his wife Stephanie Lowe at the time of the relationship. They separated in 2020, after Schofield came out as gay.

Schofield said he was “very, very, very sorry” for being unfaithful to his wife and lying to colleagues, representatives, employers, the media and the public.

The TV presenter said he would reflect on his “very bad judgment when they both got into a relationship and then lied about it”.

His announcement follows several months of significant online speculation about Schofield’s personal relationships.

Schofield also told the BBC that he would be relinquishing management of talent agency YMU.

“It is with my deepest regret that after 35 years of flawless management by YMU, I have agreed to step down as their representative with immediate effect,” he said.

“I am making this statement through the Daily Mail, to whom I have personally apologized for misleading, through my attorney, whom I have also cheated on, about a story they wanted to write about. me a few days ago.

“The first thing I want to say is this: I am deeply sorry for lying to them and many others about the relationship I had with someone who worked on This Morning. I was in a consensual relationship with a consensual relationship. Younger male colleague at This Morning.

“Contrary to speculation, while I met that man when he was a teenager and was offered to help him get into television, it was only after he started working on the show. process, it became more than just friendship.The relationship was unwise, but not illegal.Now it’s over.

“When I decided to go public, I did so purely for my own good. No one ‘forced’ me to go public. To my knowledge, neither me nor anyone else has ever issued an order. banned, super or otherwise, regarding my relationship with this colleague, he has never been continued or fired by or because of me.

“In an attempt to protect my former colleague, I have been dishonest about this relationship. But my departure from This Morning, unrelated, has recently sparked speculation and raised questions. impacted him, so it’s very important to me for his sake to be honest now.

“I am painfully aware that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agent, to the media and therefore to the public and most importantly to I am very, very sorry, like me, for being unfaithful to my wife.

“I have therefore decided to give up the British Soap Awards, my last public commitment, and I resign from ITV immediately to express my immense gratitude to them for all their What a wonderful opportunity they have given me.

“I would think about my very bad judgment of getting into the relationship and then lie about it.

“To protect his privacy, I have not named this individual and it is my deepest wish that both he and his family can now go on with their lives without further intrusion. and this statement will allow them to do so.

“I ask the media to respect their privacy. They have done nothing wrong and I demand that their privacy be respected.”

Schofield’s last appearance this morning was on Friday, May 19. He announced his departure from ITV’s daytime programming later that week.

Willoughby is currently on vacation but will return to the show on Monday, June 5.