Phillip Schofield 'holds vigil for seriously ill mum' who supported him following This Morning axe

28 June 2023, 07:43

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

Phillip Schofield has held a vigil by his 'seriously ill' mum's bedside, who has been in hospital with an unknown condition for several days.

Schofield, 61, turned to his mum, Pat, for support following his resignation from This Morning after he revealed that he had an affair with a younger male colleague.

The former presenter was pictured sitting next to his mum near the sea in Newquay, Cornwall, last month - shortly after quit ITV.

"Given the stress Phillip has been through in recent weeks, this couldn’t have come at a worse time for the family," an insider told The Sun. 

"Given that his mother was the woman Phillip turned to in his hour of need, her illness is a particularly cruel twist of fate."

It also comes shortly after Phillip's brother Timothy was sentenced to 12 years in prison for child sex offences.

Timothy had denied all 11 offences, which included making a child watch sexual activity, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, causing a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual activity with a child.

He was later sacked by Avon and Somerset Police.

Read More: ITV 'refusing to pay for costly private therapy for Phillip Schofield's former lover', as This Morning row rumbles on

Read More: ITV boss Dame Carolyn McCall says Schofield affair 'deeply inappropriate' as she's grilled by MPs

His conviction is thought to have put a strain on the family, with Phillip saying he "no longer has a brother" following the court case.

He said: "My overwhelming concern is and has always been for the wellbeing of the victim and his family. I hope that their privacy will now be respected.

"If any crime had ever been confessed to me by my brother, I would have acted immediately to protect the victim and their family. These are despicable crimes, and I welcome the guilty verdicts.

"As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother."

Read More: Tearful Holly Willoughby says she's been 'let down' by Phillip Schofield's lies as she returns to This Morning

Schofield stepped down from This Morning shortly before revealing he had an extramarital affair with a younger male colleague on the show.