Phillip Schofield has had a busy year in his personal life and his career.
The 58-year-old This Morning presenter was living with his wife of 27 years Steph and daughters Molly, 27, and Ruby, 24, this time last year.
In a brave and unexpected move, the hugely-popular TV presenter then came out as gay on February 7.
Following a lengthy and personal Instagram post detailing his feelings and emotions as he struggled to come to terms with the truth of his sexuality, the star then appeared in his regularly scheduled role on ITV daytime show This Morning.
Phillip was joined by his long-time presenting partner and friend Holly Willoughby, 39, on the programme, as well as husband and wife duo Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford.
Emotional scenes followed in the studio and the group hugged and shared their support for their colleague, who told how his family had taken the news.
One year on, where is the star now?
New living arrangements
Phillip Schofield came out as gay one year ago today
The Dancing On Ice presenter proceeded to move out of his £2million home in Oxfordshire a couple of months after the interview.
The newly-single TV star instead chose to buy a bachelor pad in West London, according to numerous reports.
This would have made Phillip’s commute to work every day much easier for one thing, as he navigated his new normal.
However the coronavirus pandemic threw a spanner in the works, so the presenter instead moved back in with his family at their country residence so they could be together for the duration of the country-wide lockdowns.
Claims recently surfaced Phillip plans to convert the garage into his own private residence.
Family dynamics
Phillip Schofield has been married to his wife Stephanie for 27 years
Phillip and Steph have remained good friends since he came out last year, and the couple have no plans to divorce.
During an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live in November, Phil stated: “We love each other massively. We are a loving family, that hasn’t changed… it’s us four but different.”
“We are a work in progress,” he went on to explain. “I’ve been very honest about all of this and there’s no question, we have to pick our way through this daily as a family.
“And that’s what we are doing. We are making our way through very unusual and unexpected waters.”
Dating life
Phillip Schofield has two daughters called Molly and Ruby
After coming out, Phillip told the world he wasn’t interested in dating anyone, and was more concerned with working through his family life and new persona on television.
Speculation has been rife ever since over when the presenter will start dating again, but so far the presenter hasn’t made anything official.
Fans accidentally mistook one of the star’s lifelong friends as his boyfriend after he posted a picture of them going on a country walk.
The This Morning host also shared he was looking forward to be taken out for lunch for the first time since last March.
“I am about to be taken out to lunch for the first time since March,” he told fans, but kept the person’s identity a secret.
Fellow stars in the industry have also speculated on Phillip’s relationship status, with popular chat-show host Graham Norton even guessing he had a “secret boyfriend”.
Speaking to Chris Evans on his Virgin Radio podcast How to Wow, he said: “I imagine Pip has some secret boyfriend squirrelled away somewhere. I’m sure he has,” the host, who is also a novelist, said.
“I remember what it was like keeping that secret when I was a kid. To keep that secret for presumably 30, 40 years, what that does to you. It’s so strange,” Graham added in solidarity.
Mum and dad
Phillip Schofield remains very close to his 83-year-old mum Pat
Phillip continues to share a close relationship with his mum, who had the best reaction at his coming out last year.
“Oh thank god! I thought you were going blind!” Pat Schofield, 83, exclaimed, assuming her son’s eye “floaters” had deteriorated.
Unfortunately the game-show and entertainment presenter will never be able to tell his dad Brian he’s gay, because he died in 2008, but Phillip revealed last year he often wonders just how his dad would have reacted.
Speaking to Chris on his podcast, Phillip said: “That’s like a grenade going off in my head. When I went down to Cornwall when I told my mum, I said, ‘What do you think dad would have said? Would he still be proud?’
“Thankfully she said, ‘Yes… he’ll think you’re brave and he will always be proud of you.’ So that is good… My dad was one of the kindest, sweetest, most lovely people ever.”
Career
Phillip Schofield has been presenting the new series of Dancing on Ice
After a rollercoaster 12 months, Phillip’s career continues to go from strength to strength, and the presenter will return to fan-favourite The Cube later this year.
The show will even undergo a new format change, giving the silver fox a new challenge to sink his teeth into.
Speaking of the update, he said: “The Cube is such a cracking format but with the players now in teams and a whopping million-pound prize fund, it now means this high-pressure environment has just got tougher.
“I can’t wait to be reunited with the legendary Perspex Cube!”
Phillip Schofield continues to present This Morning every day with his long-time co-host and friend Holly Willoughby
Despite revealing the truth about his mental health struggles, Phillip has admitted he wasn’t aware coming out publicly would mean so much to lots of others facing their own battles with their sexuality.
He told Chris Evans his head “probably got very, very selfish” and he “got lost very much in the darkness” of his own head.
But despite the star’s concerns for his family and his image in the industry, Phillip began to see the clouds lift when he realised how many people he was helping by coming out publicly.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
