Richard Madeley has said that he ‘feels extremely sad’ for Phillip Schofield following his’savage’ resignation from ITV.
The former This Morning host is still in contact with his replacement on the ITV show, and he has shared his opinions following the retirement of the 61-year-old personality from the daytime TV show.
Schofield resigned in May after confessing to lying about a ‘unwise but not criminal’ romance with a considerably younger coworker.
‘I feel very sorry for Phillip – it seemed a pretty savage outcome after 21 years (in the job),’ Richard told The Sun. ‘It seemed quite brutal to be honest.
‘I took a paternal interest in it – I kept in touch, told him to take it easy and that it’ll be all right. He agreed. All things pass in the end.’
He compared the TV world to politics, with people ‘only one debate away from a catastrophe’.
He added: ‘We’ve all been through terrible experiences and the worst ones are the [ones] that come out of a clear blue sky and you don’t see them coming. Politicians say they’re only one debate away from a catastrophe and it’s the same in our industry.’
And, despite his return to ITV, where he co-hosts Good Morning Britain, which airs before Lorraine and This Morning every weekday, he has no plans to replace Schofield on the couch.
‘I enjoyed it but wouldn’t go back,’ he said.
Following the departures of Josie Gibson, Alison Hammond, and Andi Peters, it was recently rumoured that GMB star Ben Shephard has emerged as a favourite to become permanent presenter alongside Holly Willoughby.
Schofield hailed his daughters, Molly, 29, and Ruby, 27, for saving his life after he had suicidal thoughts in a BBC interview earlier this year.
He also stated that his wife was’very, very upset’ when he confessed to the affair after lying about it and insisting his younger lover was only a friend and colleague.
Despite coming out as homosexual more than three years ago, the presenter still wears his wedding band.
