Phillip Schofield admits 'on-off relationship with younger male colleague at This Morning'

Phillip Schofield has admitted he had an 'on-off relationship with younger male colleague at This Morning'. The 61-year-old told a national newspaper: "That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over."

The statement, to the Daily Mail, read: "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."

It comes almost a week after he left the ITV show after 20 years. He has now confirmed he has quit the channel completely.

Phillip added: "I have decided to step down from the British Soap Awards, my last public commitment, and am resigning from ITV with immediate effect expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me."

He has also parted company with talent agency YMU, it was confirmed in a separate statement, the Mirror reports.

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"Honesty and integrity are core values for YMU’s whole business, defining everything we do. Talent management is a relationship based entirely on trust," YMU said.

"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."

Phillip's statement on YUM reads: "It is with the most profound regret that after 35 years of being faultlessly managed by YMU I have agreed to step down