Craig Revel Horwood jumps to Phillip Schofield’s defense
Craig Revel Horwood jumps to Phillip Schofield’s defense: What This Morning presenter did was no worse than a boss having an affair with his secretary, Strictly Come Dancing judge claims
Craig Revel Horwood has defended Phillip Schofield arguing that the former This Morning presenter’s affair with a much younger colleague was no worse than a boss having an affair with his secretary.
The Stricly Come Dancing judge, 58, called for Schofield to ‘leave it alone’ after the ITV presenter admitted to having an ‘ill-advised but not illegal’ relationship with the man, whom he met when he was 15.
“I think Phillip Schofield is entitled to a private life,” said the 58-year-old choreographer.
“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 die. It’s not like he killed anyone.
How many CEOs have extramarital affairs with secretaries? A lot of. It doesn’t make any sense that it got as big as it did. Leave him alone now, I’d say.’
Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood, 58, called for Phillip Schofield to ‘leave it alone’
Schofield admitted to the Daily Mail last month that he was in a relationship with a young male ITV employee before coming out as gay in 2020.
The relationship also spanned a period before Schofield separated from his wife, Stephanie Lowe, the mother of his two daughters.
The 61-year-old presenter met the man when he was 15, while he was giving a lecture at an acting school.
He later arranged an interview for him at This Morning where he was hired as a production assistant.
Schofield said the affair started when the employee was 20 years old, when he was in his mid-50s.
He admitted lying about it to the Daily Mail, as well as ITV management, his colleagues, his lawyers, his agent and others.
Craig Revel Horwood appearing on This Morning sofa in 2019 alongside then presenter Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby
He was dropped by his agency and resigned from ITV, apologizing for lying while saying the relationship was ‘consensual’.
Schofield was removed as an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, the charity founded by King Charles.
Revel Horwood is not the first prominent figure to defend him. Grand Tour star Jeremy Clarkson claimed the former presenter was the victim of a ‘witch hunt’ because he was gay.
He argued that the significant age difference between Schofield and his lover was commented on in a way rarely applied to heterosexual male stars.
“I have never seen such a witch hunt, and what baffles me most is that, as things stand, no crime has been committed.
“I don’t know him well at all and have no skin in the game, but it seems to me he’s only guilty of what he said he was: gay.”