Phillip Schofield's daughter breaks silence on This Morning scandal

Phillip Schofield's daughter has hold of how her dad's 'heartbreaking' This Morning scandal and him coming out as gay has 'made them closer.'

Discussing her own ordeal as the former presenter, 62, made his return to TV for Channel 5's Cast Away, Molly, 31, as she discussed everything for the first time.   

Phillip has been married to Stephanie Lowe since 1993 and the pair share two daughters: Molly and Ruby, 28.

In 2020, he shocked the country when he came out as gay, however, he and Stephanie stayed married - albeit separating later that year.

Speaking on Cast Away, set to air on Monday, Molly opened up about how hard the past few years had been on her family.  

She said: 'What people don't realise is that they batter you but then there are other people affected.'

Molly, who works as her father's publicist, added: 'We've seen him in his lowest times, but I've been so proud of him, and as a daughter to see the love that people had for him that when it's taken away it's just heartbreaking.' 

'Weirdly everything that's happened recently has made us closer.'

'When my dad came out, it was, it was very hard for me,' Molly continued.

'It was very hard for the entire family. Mainly my mum, of course, everything was turned upside down. But we talked through it and over time it's got easier.' 

Phillip secretly filmed Channel 5 special Cast Away, which required him to give up his home comforts for 10 days of soul-searching on a tropical island in the Indian Ocean

During the show, he will discuss his bitter parting of ways with ITV and This Morning, which he hosted for 21 years, while fending for himself on the island paradise, located off the coast of Madagascar.

His wife Stephanie's world came crashing down when, in May 2023, it finally became public knowledge that Phillip had conducted a years-long affair with a much-younger male ITV colleague.

Phil and Stephanie have never legally divorced with sources close to the couple saying previously that she 'still loves him' deeply and will always remain in his 'support system' with their daughters Molly and Ruby.

Phillip has not worked since he left This Morning in May 2023 shortly before the affair was revealed. His co-host and once close friend, Holly Willoughby, later left herself, with Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard taking over their roles.

Phillip quit ITV entirely after admitting he had lied to the Daily Mail about his the affair. 

Friends of the star were 'quite certain' he would never work again following his admission, but Channel 5 changed this.

One said at the time: 'Phillip has been very, very down recently. He doesn't know how he is going to 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.'

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Inside Phillip Schofield's 16-month break from TV as he announces return for C5's Cast Away

Sources close to Schofield say that his friends are trying to encourage him to think he can have a 'fulfilling life' away from showbusiness.

One said: 'Just because he may not be on telly again doesn't mean he can't enjoy his life. Phil isn't so sure though.'

Before the Channel 5 gig, Phillip was tipped for a job on national radio – his 'first love' – with Britain's largest commercial stations said to be jostling to bring him in to woo new listeners from rivals, including BBC Radio 2.

An ITV report in December 2023 cleared bosses of a cover-up of the affair and did not mention any further damaging claims about Schofield's relationship with a young runner on the show.

Despite claims of a 'whitewash', industry insiders told MailOnline that it opens the door to the star getting a new big-money deal to return to work in 2024. 

But a senior British broadcasting source said a return to TV for Mr Schofield is 'unlikely – for now'. 

He said: 'Now that a line has been drawn in the sand by ITV over the Schofield saga, attention will move on.

'Within a period of time there is now a place for Phillip to return, possibly not on TV yet, but there are now a myriad of opportunities for him on commercial radio where he will be offered big money to return to his first love.

'The KC's report gives him a fresh chance – but nobody will be surprised at all to see that ITV has found itself in the clear as it tries to save This Morning'.

Neither Phillip nor his former partner spoke to Jane Mulcahy KC, whose report came out in December.

Ms Mulcahy found that the unnamed runner's promotion from This Morning to Loose Women 'had nothing to do' with Schofield and claimed that also 'only one person' interviewed had knowledge of the affair but 'did not report their knowledge at time'.