Phil the outcast: Katie Hind explains that Philip Schofield has been attending hours of therapy and taking long, lonely walks in order to avoid watching his former show as Holly sits down in front of the TV without him.
In a white T-shirt, blue shorts, and a matching pair of Converse plimsolls, Phillip Schofield blended in well as he walked along a fashionable, leafy West London street.
Last Sunday, after a three-hour lunch with a buddy, he left the Roebuck pub and took in the solitude of September’s sunshine.
There were no requests for signatures or selfies, in contrast to earlier visits when he was a near-constant fixture on daytime television.
He could have been any pub patron having a chill weekend, instead.
According to Phil’s friends, it was a time for contemplation.
Because his previous ITV show This Morning was about to resume production after the summer break.
There was no way it could have been any worse for Phil.
The following morning, viewers watched as Holly Willoughby, his former co-host, was joined by Alison Hammond, her new closest friend and the one she had previously told ITV she wanted at her side.
Some people criticised the women for their embarrassing dancing to Mamma Mia! songs, but Holly hardly broke a smile and seemed ecstatic to be back.
For the first time in 21 years, Phil went back to the This Morning studio in early September after the summer break.
But this time, a close colleague tells me, he wasn’t just absent—he couldn’t even bring himself to turn on the show.
They claimed that he would have done anything but watch that.
Although 200,000 viewers didn’t watch, which caused This Morning bosses to become quite concerned, he might have been encouraged by a decline in viewing figures.
Phil might have found some solace in the fact that Holly had to put on a brave face at the National Television Awards (NTAs) on Tuesday night.
The two had not been present together for the first time in 14 years.
Holly was still able to mingle with some of the biggest stars in television, but after the ratings drop, it was obviously not a pleasant evening for her.
The star, though, was still on the top page of most newspapers the following morning wearing a lovely lilac Suzanne Neville gown—something Phil had grown accustomed to during his time at This Morning.
Perhaps the starkest example of what Phil has lost since confessing to the Mail that he had an affair with a much younger male runner with whom he worked on This Morning behind his wife’s back and then lied about it was seeing him leave the pub alone.
Those close to him said that the trip to the pub was representative of how he currently lives.
The excitement of live television, the 6 a.m. beginnings, and being a member of Britain’s daytime golden duo are all gone.
One buddy remarked that “Phil’s life has changed in a way that up until now he could never have imagined.”
“Look at this time last year, when he was also coming back to This Morning from a vacation in Holly and her family’s neighbouring villa.
He currently has nothing but a lot of free time.
It nearly seems as though he has retired early, definitely not of his own volition.
So, besides going for walks and having drinks with friends, how is he spending his time exactly? “Licking his wounds,” one responds.
They also mention therapy. In an effort to cope with losing his career, numerous friendships, and position as one of the top presenters in the UK, Phil has started to receive frequent counselling.
The friend reported, “He is spending a lot of time talking to a therapist, at least once a week.”
He is primarily doing that at the moment, thinking back on what went wrong and attempting to adjust to his new life.
For him, everything has come as a tremendous shock, and he is still having trouble processing everything.
‘He feels that he needs to discuss everything with a professional.
His family has been under a lot of stress as a result of the circumstance, so he determined he needed another outlet.
According to sources, Phil has reconciled with his divorced wife Stephanie, the mother of his two daughters Molly and Ruby.
When he revealed to her in May that he had an affair with a man in his 20s and had been away from the family home in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, for a few weeks, she was devastated.
However, he now makes frequent trips to the property to perform odd projects and spend time with Stephanie, whom he wed in March 1993.
Regular companions include Will Grieveson, Molly’s longtime boyfriend, and Phil’s daughters.
The friend claimed that when Phil is among them, he truly understands what is important in life and can grin.
There have also been some lengthy trips to Cornwall, where Pat, Phil’s mother, is 87 years old.
Phil is her only carer now that Timothy, his younger brother, was sentenced to prison earlier this year for child sex charges.
The pensioner has had a difficult time lately because both of her sons have been making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
She has been experiencing a lot of stress recently.
It’s a lot for anybody, much less someone her age,’ a source added.
For other people, the 540-mile round trip would be a nightmare, but Phil uses it as “thinking time.”
Money isn’t one of Phil’s issues because he has three houses and £12 million in the bank, especially because he has retained ownership of his property management business, Fistral.
Additionally, he joined Sedulo, a wealth management business that helps wealthy people expand their fortunes.
According to a source, “Phil was a very high earner for a very long time so he doesn’t have to worry about money, unlike many celebrities who hit rock bottom.”
It’s safe to assume that Phil has lost a lot of his long-standing friendships on a more personal level.
Since Holly is no longer in his life, Phil has made it clear how he feels about her.
This week, he made the very public decision to stop following her on Instagram.
Martin Frizell, the editor of This Morning, and 35-year colleagues at the talent agency YMU, which fired the former star in the wake of the controversy, are also no longer in Phil’s life.
There are still some well-known advocates, though.
Former Good Morning Britain host and current host of his own TalkTV programme, Piers Morgan, has consistently remained faithful.
Last month, Vanessa Feltz, another employee of the network, was spotted dining with Phil at his go-to Chiswick pub, Little Bird.
The two talked into the night after becoming friends while Vanessa was a newspaper reviewer on This Morning.
Any claims that Piers or Vanessa attempted to persuade Phil to return to television have been dismissed as “absolute baloney,” however sources claim they wouldn’t be surprised if they did.
He may have had an uncontrollable ego when he was the ITV star, but he is aware that he will never be able to act again.
As for volunteering, I’ve been informed that Phil won’t do any after being passed over by organisations like the Prince’s Trust and the Royal Voluntary Service.
Additionally, he lost his ambassadorships with organisations like Boots and the Craft Gin Club.
Reports that he intends to write a book have also been dismissed as “total nonsense.”
One friend questioned, “Why would he want to rake it all up again?,” and added, “What’s definitely not on the agenda is for Phil to go back on television.”
He is attempting to establish a life away from the spotlight since he is aware that he is not welcome.
His pals constantly urging him to find other ways to feel accomplished, but he hasn’t done so yet.
He believes that there is no better therapy than taking care of the people he injured, thus he is currently striving to do that.
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