By Charlie Herbert.
Holmes has denied having any knowledge of an affair between the two
Eamonn Holmes has claimed that Phillip Schofield and his younger lover would “hit the town together” on “playtime” Thursdays when they were colleagues on This Morning.
In recent weeks, Holmes has been outspoken in his dislike of Phillip Schofield, following first his sudden departure from This Morning and then his resignation from ITV after he admitted he had lied about having an affair with a younger colleague on the daytime show.
After labelling Phil and his This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby a “pair of actors”, he then launched a scathing attack on Schofield expressing his disbelief at the idea that the presenter had “stepped down” from his role on This Morning.
When Schofield then admitted to the affair with a younger male colleague whilst he was still married to his wife Stephanie, Eamonn claimed that four members of ITV management had known “what sort of man he [Schofield] was.”
On Sunday night, he sat down with fellow GB News presenter Dan Wootton for an interview about his time on This Morning and his relationship with Holly and Phil. This was after he had promised: “One day I will tell the story.”
In the explosive interview, Wootton recalled that, during his time as a regular on This Morning, the young production assistant had been a “non-negotiable part of Phillip’s life.” He claimed taxis would “ferry” the man between teh studio and Schofield’s house.
When he asked Holmes what he recalled, the 63-year-old responded: “I didn’t know, but I’ve subsequently found out – from a very, very good source, because he would arrive much earlier in the morning than I would for the programme – that he was delivered from Phillip’s London home.
“Usually on a Friday morning, because Thursday was playtime when he and Phillip would hit the town and then he obviously stayed overnight.
“There are records to show that he was brought in the next day separately in cars paid for by ITV.”
Holmes described the young man as a “lovely fella” and “really talented.”
He revealed that whilst he is not in touch with his former colleague anymore, his wife Ruth Langsford is.
Holmes continued: “I think life’s tough for him. I ask why Schofield put that statement out. I’d say that suddenly you ask a question of that young colleague and you’re faced with top, top London lawyers.
“There’s an incredible duty of care that needs to go towards that young man. This hasthtag be kind company doesn’t seem to care when people harm themselves or commit suicide through their programmes so why would they care about people who aren’t known behind the scenes?”
In the same interview, Holmes called on Willoughby to ‘follow Phil out of the door’ and leave This Morning, predicting that viewers won’t “ever see her on the couch again.”
Following Schofield’s admission that he lied about the relationship with the employee, who was working as a production assistant on the show, ITV has said they did investigate the “rumours of a relationship.”
However, after both “repeatedly denied” the affair, they found no reason to take things further.
Willoughby has also claimed she had no knowledge of the affair. In her own statement over the weekend, she said she had directly asked Schofield about the rumours and been told by him that they were not true.
She said it had been “very hurtful to now find out this was a lie.”
Eamonn himself has also denied having any knowledge of the affair, hitting out at Schofield for “deceiving and lying to” him and his wife Ruth Langsford while they worked together on the show.
