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2 June 2023, 08:15 | Updated: 2 June 2023, 11:20
Phillip Schofield says he has ‘lost everything’ in the wake of his secret affair
Following his exit from ITV, Phillip Schofield has said he's no longer in contact with Holly Willoughby.
Phillip Schofield has revealed he texted Holly Willoughby begging her for forgiveness after lying about his This Morning affair.
In a shocking new interview, the presenter explained how he texted his friend to say he was 'so, so sorry' for not telling her about his relationship with a much younger colleague.
But the pair haven’t repaired their relationship and are no longer speaking, with Holly yet to reply to his message.
Talking to The Sun, Phillip revealed his former co-host distanced herself from him when his brother Timothy was sent to prison.
He said: “I've lost my best friend. I let her down. I let that entire show down. I let the viewers down.
“Holly did not know. And she was one of the first texts that I sent, to say, ''I am so, so sorry that I lied to you''.
“She didn't reply, and I understand why she didn't reply, as well. So yeah. If anyone is in any way linking Holly to this — that is absolutely, wholly untrue.”
He also says he hasn't had a ‘feud’ with Holly as reports suggest, but the ‘witch hunt’ has forced them apart.
“Quite rightly, she is going to take a step back and think, ‘I have to step back from this’, and I understand that completely," he added.
Phillip resigned from ITV on Friday and was dropped by his agency YMU after admitting having a relationship with a younger man who worked on the show.
The network has said to have instructed a barrister to review incidents around the exit, with reports suggesting Holly could be questioned alongside Alison Hammond, Dermot O'Leary, Eamonn Holmes, Ruth Langsford and Dr Ranj Singh.
In a separate interview with the BBC, Phillip said he has ‘lost everything’ and doesn’t see a future career for himself.
"I have to talk about television in the past tense, which breaks my heart... I have lost everything,” he said.
Alison and Dermot pay tribute to Phillip Schofield as they open This Morning
"What am I going to do with my days? I see nothing ahead of me but blackness, and sadness, and regret, and remorse, and guilt. I did something very wrong, and then I lied about it consistently."
Phillip also told his interviewer that his first romantic encounter with his colleague took place in his dressing room when the man was 20 years old.
He added that he understood the affair could be an abuse of power but "that wasn't how it felt at the time".
With the media storm affecting his mental health, Phillip also thanked his daughters for their support and added: “Last week, if my daughters hadn't been there, I wouldn't be here."