Hayley Kenny
Holly Willoughby has broken her silence after former pal Phillip Schofield admitted he had an affair with a younger ITV colleague.
The 42-year-old issued a statement on Instagram this evening to share her 'hurt' over the revelation.
Phillip resigned from ITV after he revealed that he'd had a relationship with a younger colleague during his time on the show. As part of his statement to the Daily Mail, Phillip also announced that he would be stepping down from the British Soap Awards.
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Sharing a damning message, Holly wrote: "It's taken time to process yesterday's news.
"When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not.
"It's been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie. Holly."
The presenters, who had been close friends up until recently, had worked on This Morning together since 2009.
Whilst Schofield did not name the production runner, he did state that the relationship has been ‘unwise but not illegal’.
The statement read: “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 just a friendship.
"That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over.”
Schofield insisted that his disclosure was not being ‘forced’, stating that no one had ‘issued an injunction’ about the relationship.
He added that neither he nor the unnamed colleague had been sacked over the matter.
Phil said he was ‘painfully conscious’ that he ‘lied’ to his other colleagues, loved ones and his representatives.
During this, he also apologised to his wife, Stephanie Lowe, writing: “I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife.”
The former This Morning host then revealed that he would be resigning from British Soap Awards and ITV, thanking them for the 'amazing opportunities' they had given him over the years.
Meanwhile, his former management team, YMU, also gave a statement, which read: "This week, we have learned important new information about our client Phillip Schofield.
"These facts contradicted what Phillip had previously told YMU, as well as the external advisors we had brought in to support him.
"As a result, on Thursday we agreed to part company with Phillip, with immediate effect."
ITV has confirmed that This Morning will be back on Monday.