Alison Hammond breaks down discussing Phillip Schofield on This Morning

Opening today's show, Dermot O'Leary announced that Schofield's interviews were the "big story of the day", saying that as a show, they "didn't want to shy away from it".

In the aired segments of the interview, Schofield told Rajan about his daughter's care for him and that without it, "I wouldn’t be here because I don’t see a future".

After watching, Hammond broke down in tears, saying: "I’m just finding this really painful. Because obviously, you know, I loved Phillip Schofield and it’s weird because I still love Phillip Schofield. However, what he's done is wrong. He’s admitted it. He’s said sorry.

"As a family, we’re all really struggling to process everything. I never know what to say."

She later added: "I don't want to say anything bad because I'm in conflict."

O'Leary echoed her sentiments, saying: "Of course, I think so many of us are. There's a conflation here... what Phil's done is wrong," before regular guest Gyles Brandreth said: "It’s a human story.

"At the same time, we are dealing with a human being that all of us here have known and liked over many years so it makes it difficult for us."

Later, Hammond said: "There’s only so much any man can take, and I don’t want any death in this situation."

Read more:

• ITV releases statement on previous Phillip Schofield relationship investigation
• Phillip Schofield's replacement as British Soap Awards host confirmed

As for who will replace Schofield on This Morning, there's been no word but Hammond had previously been tipped to take up the post, despite being the recently announced new co-host of Great British Bake Off.

In the BBC interview with Schofield, which is now available to watch on iPlayer, the presenter said that he thinks his TV career is over following the news of his affair, saying that it was a "grave error" and he "shouldn't have done it".

He said: "What am I going to do with my days? I see nothing ahead of me but blackness, and sadness, and regret, and remorse, and guilt. I did something very wrong, and then I lied about it consistently."

In his statement on Friday 26th May, Schofield told the Daily Mail: "I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.

"Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over...

"I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife."

After Schofield's statement, ITV confirmed that "when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate in early 2020 ITV investigated". They went on to state:"Both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip's then agency YMU."

The broadcaster has now instructed a barrister to carry out an external review to establish the facts about how ITV handled its own investigation into rumours of the affair in 2020.

Phillip Schofield: The Interview is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.

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