Strictly Come Dancing star Craig Revel Horwood has defended Phillip Schofield following his exit from This Morning, telling Best magazine that the ITV presenter is "entitled to a private life".
Discussing the recent scandal, in which Phillip admitted that he had an affair with a younger man who worked on the breakfast show, Craig explained: "Yes, he lied to his colleagues, which is wrong, but he wanted to protect himself and his former lover. It pales in comparison to a war, where innocent people are dying. It's not like he's murdered anyone."
He continued: "How many CEOs have extra-marital affairs with secretaries? A lot. It doesn't make sense to me that it became quite as huge as it did. Leave him alone now, I say."
In an interview following the news, Phillip admitted that his co-star Holly Willoughby hasn't spoken to him since he released a statement confirming rumours about the relationship, saying: "I WhatsApped her on the day I put out the statement. I said that you don't have to reply, you probably can't, but I want to say I'm desperately, desperately sorry."
He added: "I adore Holly. I've always adored her. She's my TV sister. I don't have a problem with her at all. I would say to everyone, my family, friends, my work colleagues, to ITV, the public, my management company, the people I lied to: I am desperately sorry. But principally I would like to apologise to him.”
Phillip's statement read: "I am making this statement via the Daily Mail to whom I have already apologised personally for misleading, through my lawyer who I also misled, about a story which they wanted to write about me a few days ago. The first thing I want to say is: I am deeply sorry for having lied to them, and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on This Morning.
"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. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over."
Holly returned to This Morning following the news outbreak and said that she was "worried, shaken" and "troubled" by the situation. Piers Morgan initially compared it to Jennifer Aniston’s fictional speech after her co-star is accused of sexual harassment on The Morning Show, before continuing: "I like Holly Willoughby, she’s a good friend of mine. I’ve known Phillip Schofield for a long time! I like Holly and she’s in an impossible position.
"She had to come back contractually and do what she did. I wrote this piece - the speed at which people go from heroes in this game where charities are falling over themselves to use them, people they think are their friends at work. Here’s a message, they’re not in most cases."