A TV series based on Phillip Schofield‘s departure from This Morning and his romance with a younger runner is in the works, according to reports.
Schofield’s departure from the ITV show was revealed in May of this year, following allegations about purported issues in his friendship with his former longtime co-host Holly Willoughby.
Shortly afterwards, the 61-year-old admitted that he lied about having an affair with a younger male colleague on the show, outlining in his statement: ‘I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.’
He also said in his message: ‘I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife.’
The TV personality, who came out as homosexual in February 2020, mentioned his marriage to Stephanie Lowe, with whom he had two kids.
In June, Schofield did an interview with the BBC regarding his departure from This Morning and the aftermath, during which he informed the interviewer Amol Rajan about his connection with the runner in question: ‘We’ve stayed mates. We’re still mates. We still stay friendly.’
It’s now been claimed that a production company is looking to create a drama about Schofield’s exit from ITV, with the working title ‘The Runner’.
‘A production company’s started work and they think the series would be a perfect fit for Channel 4,’ a source told The Sun.
‘The plot will represent what happened. People have seen it from the outside, but the drama will provide insight into what may have happened behind closed doors.
‘It could make for uncomfortable viewing for Phil and ITV.’
Earlier this summer, ITV executives spoke before the Culture, Media, and Sport Committee concerning Schofield’s departure from This Morning and the network.
ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall stressed that she wanted to clear up ‘facts’ following ‘speculation, rumours and misinformation’.
‘The people that have said they knew would only have heard rumours,’ she claimed in regard to Schofield’s affair with the runner.
‘If any one of the individuals you referenced had come to us and said there is evidence of a relationship, with evidence, we would’ve been able to launch a formal investigation, because the imbalance of power and dynamics makes it deeply inappropriate.’
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV.
