This Morning and Holly Willoughby will 'always be there' for Phillip Schofield

The This Morning team and Holly Willoughby will 'always be there' for Phillip Schofield after his brother was found guilty of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019.

Timothy Schofield, 54, was found guilty on all counts - including two of sexual activity with a child - by the jury after more than five-and-a-half hours of deliberation at Exeter Crown Court yesterday (3 April).

In a statement released by his lawyer after the guilty verdict, Phillip said: “My overwhelming concern is and has always been for the wellbeing of the victim and his family. I hope that their privacy will now be respected.

“If any crime had ever been confessed to me by my brother, I would have acted immediately to protect the victim and their family.

“These are despicable crimes, and I welcome the guilty verdicts. As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother.”

The boy, who alleged the offending started when he was 13, told the jury: “I felt that emotionally there was no escape from what we had to do and I felt that there was a tremendous amount of pressure and expectation for me to fulfil what was being asked and wanted.”

"We are so happy he will be back where he belongs."

They confirmed that Phillip would be returning to the daytime programme after the Easter holidays, adding: "Holly is loyal to Phil and she will always be there for him.

"And she will always be there for This Morning too. She sees it as her role to keep things going."

After the verdict was given to his brother, Detective Inspector Keith Smith said: “This defendant has exploited and abused the victim by carrying out a sickening series of offences over a significant period of time.

“Although the defendant does not work in a public-facing role, and the offences are not linked to his employment, we know the fact he works for the police will be a matter of public concern.”

An NSPCC spokesperson also said: “Child sexual abuse can have devastating and long-lasting impact on a person’s life and Timothy Schofield’s actions were deeply harmful. We hope that the young man he targeted is receiving all the support he needs to move forward with his life.”

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 8am–10pm Monday to Friday, 9am–6pm weekends. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111