- Written by Mark Savage
- BBC Entertainment Correspondent
It has been revealed that Phillip Schofield paid a large sum of money to a colleague with whom he had an affair under a non-disclosure agreement.
The former This Morning presenter quit ITV last year after admitting lying about their relationship.
The star's lawyer later admitted that he helped pay his ex-girlfriend's legal costs and compensation for the loss of her job and home.
The arrangement came with a non-disclosure agreement on both sides.
This figure has not been confirmed by the BBC.
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield perform 'This Morning' and 'Dancing On Ice' together
Schofield quit his role on This Morning in May last year following reports of a falling out with co-star Holly Willoughby.
Days later, the show was embroiled in scandal when Schofield admitted that he had “on-and-off consensual relations with a younger male colleague” while he was still married to wife Stephanie Rowe. .
The presenter first met this young man when he was 15 years old. Four years later, Schofield helped him gain work experience on This Morning.
Their relationship is thought to have begun a year later, when the man was 20 years old, at which point he had been given a job as a runner.
After the story emerged, Schofield apologized to colleagues, the media, friends and family for lying about the incident and resigned from ITV with immediate effect.
The star also addressed power issues in the relationship and whether he abused his position.
“I understand that, and it's a very legitimate question to me,” Schofield told Amol Rajan.
“If it was an abuse of power, I'm not that person, but of course it could be perceived as such. But I didn't feel that way at the time.”
The report said that although “significant efforts” were made in 2020 to uncover the truth, both sides “repeatedly denied” a relationship.
Mr Schofield “reluctantly refused” to take part in the review citing “risks to health”.
Both he and his ex-partner are said to be in critical condition after the affair became public.
Willoughby quit the show “for me and my family” five months after Schofield's revelations.
