Phillip Schofield ‘fell head over heels’ for dancer who left her boyfriend for him
35 years ago, This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield was quite the ‘ladies’ man’ and there was even a dancer who is said to have left her partner for him
Television presenter Phillip Schofield once reportedly ‘fell head over hills’ for a dancer who left her boyfriend for him.
The This Morning presenter, 59, later married and had two daughters following this apparent New Zealand romance, and this year has now come out as gay.
Now in a look at his romantic history by the Daily Mail, insight has been given into Phillip’s former life as a ‘ladies’ man.’
In addition to his romance in New Zealand with up-and-coming TV star Marika Tautz, Phillip was also attached to a dancer named Fenella Bathfield, who he met in 1983.
The pair met during a New Zealand music awards ceremony.
Phillip later said: “She was absolutely perfect and for the first and only time in my life so far, I simply fell head over heels in love at first sight.”
Fenella even left her then-boyfriend for Phillip after he got her number and managed to swiftly move into a romantic relationship together.
A friend from the time told the Daily Mail that they were “a really hot item . . . always cuddling and kissing”.
There is also an anecodte of Phillip singing Barbra Streisand tunes to Fenella in the car.
Alas, the pair’s romance is said to have ended when Phillip made his planned return to the UK in January 1984, with Fenella remaining in New Zealand.
After further dalliances back in the UK, Phillip would marry long-term partner Stephanie Lowe in March 1993.
The pair went on to have two daughters: 27-year-old Molly and 24-year-old Ruby.
In February this year, Phillip came out publicly as gay on Instagram in a statement.
He went on to appear in a television interview with co-presenter Holly Willoughby on This Morning where he elaborated further on the situation.
Phillip said of his relationship with Steph: “Yeah, it’s tough, but this is not something that’s happened quickly, I’ve had to deal with this in my head for quite some time.
“We’ve been honest and open. .. Steph… I can’t write in any statement what I feel about that woman. She’s amazing, she’s incredible.
“There is no one in my life who would have supported me the way… as a wife, as the way she’s supported me. She’s astonishing, literally astonishing.”
However, according to a former This Morning colleague who spoke to the Daily Mail, rumours have persisted about Phillip’s sexuality for years.
They said: “There have been so many rumours about him and gay lovers.
“In recent years, he has seemingly started to express his identity with how he dresses and carries himself, too.”
The colleague expressed, however, that they never expected him to come out publicly.
Mirror Online has reached out to representatives of Phillip Schofield for comment on these reports.
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