EXCLUSIVE: Phillip Schofield enjoys a night out with Vanessa Feltz at trendy West London restaurant as she takes his place on This Morning – as friends say he is ‘quite certain’ he will never work again after affair scandal
Phillip Schofield has been spotted for the first time in months smiling on an evening out with Vanessa Feltz – as friends close to the fallen star claim he is ‘quite certain’ he will never work again.
The pair were seen as they left the Little Bird restaurant in Chiswick, West London, with Schofield helping his long-term friend into her car before departing on foot.
It is the first time the former ITV star, 61, has been seen publicly in the capital since his dramatic resignation from the broadcaster in May after admitting to an ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a much younger male colleague.
Since standing down from his role, Schofield has become something of a recluse, spending much of his time in Newquay, Cornwall with his 87-year-old mother Pat, after announcing he had become too frightened to step outside fearing he would be ‘spat on.’
But last night Schofield broke cover for the first time in over a month to enjoy a night out at the trendy small plates restaurant.
Wearing a blue suit jacket and patterned white shirt he appeared to listen intensely to Feltz, 61, as they walked to her car, before waving her off with a cheerful goodbye, ahead of her sting presenting This Morning earlier today.
It comes as friends of Schofield said that his working life was now ‘over’ following his admission that he had an affair with a much younger colleague and then lied about it.
One told MailOnline: ‘Phillip has been very, very down recently. He doesn’t know how he is going to work again.
Phillip Schofield has been spotted for the first time in over a month with former This Morning regular Vanessa Feltz
The pair were seen as they left the Little Bird restaurant in Chiswick, West London
Schofield waved off his companion before walking off down the street by himself
The former ITV star has become much of a recluse since he stood down from his role after admitting to lying about an affair with a much younger colleague
Schofield and his co-presenter of 13 years, Holly Willoughby, pictured with the man he had an affair with
‘He is pretty sure that he is done. He keeps saying he will never work again. It’s devastating for him to realise but he also knows that there is not a lot he can do about it.
‘He doesn’t know who will take him, he knows there is no way back to ITV or the BBC.’
Sources close to Schofield say that his circle of friends are trying to encourage him to think that he can have a ‘fulfilling life’ away from showbusiness.
Another added: ‘Just because he may not be on telly again doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy his life. Phil isn’t so sure though.’
There were rumours earlier in the summer that Schofield was being lined up to rebuild his career on TalkTV, but his lawyers quickly shut these claims down, stating that he was ‘absolutely not’ joining the channel as far as he was aware.
Schofield was last pictured in public at the end of June, where he was spotted by a member of the public looking ‘very tired’ as he strolled through a car park in Cornwall clutching a carrier bag.
Days before that had been seen celebrating his mother’s 87th birthday, also in the county, looking rather serious instead of happy.
Meanwhile ITV has been plunged further into hot water over the scandal today as employees told Parliament that they faced ‘further bullying and discrimination’ after raising concerns of toxicity and harassment with the broadcaster.
Wearing a blue suit jacket and a patterned white shirt, Schofield appeared to listen intently as Feltz spoke to him
He then was then seen giving his long-term friend a cheery goodbye before walking off
Schofield was last seen in public in June. That week he was spotted by a member of the public in a Cornish car park, days after being seen arriving at his mothers house for her 87th birthday
ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall faced questions from MPs about the former host’s exit from the show, as employees came forward in the wake of the scandal to brand the programme as toxic place of work that fostered a bullying culture.
In correspondence published today, Dame Caroline Dinenage, chairwoman of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, told Dame Carolyn that since her grilling in June, more employees, both past and present, had raised similar concerns.
In the letter dated July 24, Dame Caroline wrote: ‘In the month that has passed since your appearance before the committee, we have been contacted by a large number of individuals who have identified themselves as currently working or previously having worked on This Morning or as part of the wider ITV Daytime team.
‘These individuals speak with great pride about working at ITV and are hugely positive about many of their colleagues.
‘However, they also raise claims of toxic working cultures, bullying, discrimination and harassment.
‘Some of those individuals who have contacted us have described how their decision to raise concerns within ITV has led to further bullying and discrimination, and in some cases having to leave the organisation with a settlement agreement.’
ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall faced questions from MPs about the former host’s exit from the show in June
In a response, Dame Carolyn asked the parliamentary committee to ‘encourage individuals to contact ITV via our reporting line SafeCall’ through which reports can be made confidentially or anonymously.
Former and current employees can also contact Jane Mulcahy KC who is leading an external review of the facts after Schofield’s exit, which is expected to be completed in September, Dame Carolyn said.
She added: ‘As we made clear to you and the committee, we are absolutely committed to enabling people to raise any issues or complaints they may have about working at ITV.
‘We always take these seriously and will investigate and take whatever action is appropriate. However, we are unable to do so if we cannot engage with those people.’
The broadcaster came under fire when Schofield’s affair emerged as they were accused of knowing about the relationship.
Former This Morning Presenter Eamonn Holmes accused the bosses of a ‘total cover-up’ of the affair, claiming those in authority ‘had to know’ about it because the young man, who has never been named, was ferried between Schofield’s flat and studio in taxis ‘paid for by ITV’.
Cristo Foufas, who is a presenter for TalkTV but used to work in ITV’s production unit, described the relationship as an ‘open secret’.
Schofield’s London flat is believed to be where he would take his junior colleague for secret trysts
Schofield pictured at his London flat in 2020
Schofield pictured with his estranged wife Stephanie, before they separated following his announcement that he was gay
‘I was a producer at ITV Daytime during the period where this was all taking place,’ he told the Jeremy Vine Show in May.
‘It was known among the production staff and people lower down the food chain what was going on. Everyone knew that he was with Phillip.’
Schofield had been involved in the tryst for years, keeping it secret until he admitted to The Mail on Sunday that he had lied about the affair just being rumours.
He went on to confess he had misled his employer, his colleagues, his friends and his agents at the management firm YMU, who dropped him as a result.
When he broke his silence after leaving the show he insisted he had not ‘groomed’ the man, despite first meeting him when he was 15.
And he went on to declare: ‘Attraction is attraction. It’s no different in the gay world as it is in the heterosexual world or in the lesbian world.
‘There shouldn’t be a difference. This is where homophobia comes in. We did first meet when he was 15, I visited the drama school [he attended].
‘So yeah, there’s a difference. It’s accepted by Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s not accepted if it’s in the gay world.’
The former ITV personality went on to address his fears of going out in public, worrying he would receive verbal abuse or be spat on.
He said: ‘I do not know a time I will be able to walk out of the door.
‘I don’t have any spirit. My friends tell me, “It will get better”. It won’t. Not now. Not this one.
‘You watch all these layers of you slide away and slide away and slide away. The things that were dear to you. But I deserve it. It’s my fault. I deserve it.’
He said he would never use social media again following the dramatic fallout.
Last week it was revealed that Schofield had reduced the asking price of his £1.2million west London flat that he bought with his wife.
The luxurious bolthole, just a stones throw away from Television Central in White City where his morning show was filmed, became a place where Schofield would take his younger lover for ‘playtime’ on Thursdays, it was claimed earlier this year.
The immaculate two-bedroom flat, which is part of a gated community, has had its value slashed by £85,000.
It follows Schofield and his estranged wife Stephanie, 59, already reducing the property’s asking price £100,000, making it lower than the price they paid for it in 2012.
The flat is said to be in ‘very good condition’ and is the ‘perfect setting for entertaining’.
Stepping away from the storm, Willoughby spent her summer break jetting off to Cornwall with her husband Dan Baldwin and children Harry, 14, Belle, 12, and Chester, eight
Willoughby spent much of her two-month break on the Iberian peninsula, soaking up the sun at a £2million mansion
When Schofield stepped down from his role there were fears that This Morning could be axed all together.
And these concerns only grew when his co-presenter of 13 years Holly Willoughby disappeared on holiday without saying goodbye to viewers.
But sources have since confirmed that the 42-year-old is far from quitting, instead being set to sign a lucrative new contract – and save the show.
They confirmed that Willoughby will be back as planned in September, despite employees behind-the-scenes fear she was ‘quietly quitting’.
Stepping away from the storm, Willoughby spent her summer break jetting off to Cornwall with her husband Dan Baldwin and children Harry, 14, Belle, 12, and Chester, eight.
She has spent much of her two-month break on the Iberian peninsula, soaking up the sun at a £2million mansion.
The star made a number of appearances putting on a brave face on the Algarve, shopping in a beautiful yellow dress, having a dip in the sea and hanging out with her family.
She also celebrated her 16th anniversary with her husband on the beach, giving her Instagram followers a rare insight into her marriage and hinting that he’s helped her heal from the difficultly of the last year.
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