Phillip Schofield's This Morning colleagues ‘feared he was dying’ after weight loss
Phillip Schofield has opened up about the time leading up to him coming out and said that he was looking so frail that it caused concern among those he worked with
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Phillip Schofield has spoken about the months ahead of him coming out and how his dramatic weight loss caused concern among those he worked with.
The 58-year-old This Morning presenter announced he was gay in February, in an emotional moment with his co-host Holly Willoughby.
He has now revealed that in the build up to that moment, fears for his health were growing with some worrying that he "was dying."
Phillip has said that he grappling with inner turmoil at the time as he tried to get to grips with his sexuality and the toll of this was beginning to show with his slender frame.
Speaking on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, Phillip opened up about those working with him on This Morning were fearing the worst.
He said: “It was draining in that no one other than Holly knew. All the people I worked with just thought I was really ill. I was losing weight, thin, staring into the mirror.
“It was the worry of other people that was a bit unsettling. I couldn’t be jokey and jovial, I was just quiet.”
Phillip said that his colleagues were candid with him once he finally explained why he had been 'out of sorts' during that time.
He continued: “They all said, ‘Is that all?! Oh thank God, I thought you were dying!’”
Fearne described Phillip's autobiography, Life’s What You Make It, as "unbelievably honest and brave" as he details the agonising he went through during his marriage with Stephanie Lowe, 56, while coming to terms with that he is gay.
Phillip married Stephanie in 1993 and they have two daughters, Ruby, 24, and Molly, 27, and it is these three that are his priorities in life.
The TV presenter continued: “‘All I care about are the people I love – Steph and the girls.
“Do I know who I am? No. I’m still pretty confused. It’s clearer because I’ve been very honest about it and I’ve known that about myself for a bit of time.
“My head is just as muddy as it was before. People have said I’m going to ‘live my best life now.’ I don’t know what that means - I thought I was.”
Speaking about coming out, Phillip said that he was mindful of his family's feelings before making the public announcement.
He said: “I was always really careful with the girls. I’ve never done anything on the telly that would embarrass them until they were old enough and we could laugh about it.
"Suddenly you’re doing this public thing and you can’t do it on your own. You need to take your family with you.
“The girls are so lucky they’ve got the best boyfriends. They’re so sweet and supportive."
Phillip added that it was his wife that he felt for the most, as he shared his feelings about his sexuality.
He added: "Obviously I worry about Steph. That’s an overriding factor. We all talk a lot which is important. It’s a peculiar thing to have to go through as a couple - and an individual."
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