Phillip Schofield, 57, came out in a lengthy statement posted on his Instagram story, before going on to This Morning to be interviewed by his co-host Holly Willoughby, who said “I will always be by your side”. In view of his 2.7 million followers, the presenter, who has two daughters with his wife of nearly 27 years, Stephanie Lowe, wrote: “You never know what’s going on in someone’s seemingly perfect life, what issues they are struggling with, or the state of their wellbeing – and so you won’t know what has been consuming me for the last few years.
“With the strength and support of my wife and my daughters, I have been coming to terms with the fact that I am gay.
“This is something that has caused many heart-breaking conversations at home.
“I have been married to Steph for nearly 27 years, and we have two beautiful grown-up daughters, Molly and Ruby.”
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“My friends are the best, especially Holly, who has been so kind and wise – and who has hugged me as I sobbed on her shoulder.
“At ITV, I couldn’t hope to work with more wonderful, supportive teams.
“Every day on This Morning, I sit in awe of those we meet who have been so brave and open in confronting their truth – so now it’s my turn to share mine.
“This will probably all come as something of a surprise and I understand, but only by facing this, by being honest, can I hope to find peace in my mind and a way forward. Please be kind, especially to my family. Phillip.”